Fate of Black and Crimson
by Doctor Weird
Summary: A storm is brewing within the Fifth Heaven's Feel. In addition to the seven Servant classes, Shielder and Ruler had come to join the Holy Grail War for some reasons. Amidst the chaos, Shirou and his Servant, the enigmatic Assassin, resolved to uncover the truth and open a path to the future of humanity; that of a pitch black destruction, or that of a blood-drenched salvation.
1. Prologue

**Ten years ago, the Town of Shinto, Fuyuki City  
**

The war was over, and she was the victor. All that was left was to claim the prize.

"The Grail..." Saber whispered shakily as she dragged her feet towards the golden light in the building.

The tool of her redemption, the mean to achieve her kingdom's salvation. It was finally here, all hers as the last Servant standing in The Fourth Holy Grail War.

She had obliterated the mad Caster's gargantuan beast.

The honorable Lancer had perished before her as he cursed the life that had brought him so much grief and indignities.

Rider's mighty steed failed to challenge the light of her holy sword, costing the King of Conqueror dearly.

Her old friend, the ever faithful knight of the lake, losing the curse of madness as his master succumbed before at last perishing upon her cold bosom.

And the greatest of all opponents: the unknown yet nigh almighty Golden Archer. He had pierced her legs with swords out that golden portals of his and had forced down his tongue into her throat, declaring her as his property. He received a stab in the heart for that insolence.

She was the King of Knights, and her kingdom needed her. No man, even gods, were allowed to get in the way of her duty. Especially with something as frivolous as marriage proposal.

"Saber."

The spoken word startled her, and she glanced about, seeking where it came from.

To the left, above her on a jutting platform.

Appearing out of the shadows was her Master. The fiendish, ruthless murderer who loved his wife and child more than anything else. The man who wanted to save the world.

Emiya Kiritsugu.

Confronted by the Master she had been unable to bond with in any way resembling cooperation, the injured and exhausted Saber could only stare and wait for what he had to say.

"With this Command Seal I order you..."

There used to be three marks on his right hand, forming the shape of a sword. Now there were two, and they were glowing red.

"... destroy the Grail."

With that, everything she had put on the line - her pride, her body, her conscience, was shattered into meaningless pieces.

"No! No! NOOO!"

Her scream of anguish was drowned by the sounds of destruction soon after, sending the wheel of fate tumbling to uncharted teritory.

* * *

 **Seventy Three hours ago, France**

After almost half an hour, she finally noticed that the other person who occupied the room she was in had been unusually busy.

"Letty? Are you going somewhere?"

Leticia's roommate asked with apprehensive tone. The normally nerdy, almost a shut-in blonde girl looked about ready to have a trip somewhere faraway, currently filling her suitcase with clothes and toiletries. Also, the normally nerdy, almost a shut-in blonde girl had braided her hair and lost the glasses.

One thing Annette knew best about Leticia was that she liked her hair free.

"I'm going to Japan."

Annette's mouth dropped open.

"... Seriously?"

Leticia zipped her sport bag. One of her many luggage. She really had planned to go on a long trip.

"Yes, something very terrible is about to happen and I have to be there to foresee it."

"What the... hon, the exam is in three weeks! You can't miss a day of lesson! You've already spent your leave permits when you got sick last September, remember?"

Anymore, and Leticia must repeat a year, something she couldn't have. Huffing with annoyance, Annette got up and went to grab Leticia shoulder, stopping her roommate from inserting a bra into the suitcase.

"Letty! Look at me and tell me what's going on!"

Letty stared at her coolly, before smiling.

"Don't worry, I've made sure to inform the lecturers about this. They had all agreed to assign me some homeworks and papers to compensate for my absences."

"Huh? For real? Even Doctor Mundi?" said Annette, her anger forgotten. Excuse the clear doubt in her voice, but Doctor Mundi was the kind of lecturer who wished to see his students _fail_.

"He did give me more materials to work on than others, but I'm sure I can manage," Letty shrugged, as though what she just said was no big deal.

She never knew Leticia has that good of a persuasive power. Which was why...

"Okay. Something really serious must have happened. Come on Letty, just be honest and let me in in... whatever this is. We're best friends, I can help you, and you can trust me."

Leticia's unflinching stare bored into her eyes. Chills ran down Annette's spine. Those eyes, that gaze... somehow, she knew the woman in front of her was not actually the Letty she knew of.

Not anymore.

"H-huh...?"

The unsuredly-not-Letty clasped her hands over Annette, and gave a smile as brilliant as sunlight.

"You're a good friend, Miss Annette. Leticia is very thankful to have you, and is very happy that you care so much of her. I promise you on the Lord's name, I'll keep her safe and sound, and she will return here, and the two of you will graduate together."

Those words, as strange as they were, were said with sincerity and conviction, the amount of which Annette had never experienced before. Whoever this girl speaking to her was - either some spirit possessing Leticia, or Leticia experiencing enlightenment, whatever the hell - Annette felt she could be trusted.

And hey, using the Lord's name to make a promise was such a Leticia thing to do, anyway.

"Uh... Alright... Take care, I guess... "

"Definitely. Now you can go back to continue what you were doing."

"Okay," she said as not-Letty let go of her hands. "Back to write that erotica instead of studying, it is."

"Y-yes, sure. Good... luck with that, I hope."

Annette nodded, then climbed back to her bed and opened her laptop. Not-Letty went back to stuff Letty's briefcase with more of Letty's lingeries. Huh, never knew Letty had such a bold taste...

Hmm, inspiration, inspiration.

"Be seeing you, Annette," said Not-Letty, opening the door.

"Okay, see you before exam, hon," she replied, already moving to fourth paragraph.

The door closed.

* * *

 **Somewhere, sometime**

There were many question invading her mind as she began to lose consciousness. The face of Fujimaru-senpai that hovered over her gradually blurred, whatever the redhead said she couldn't hear anymore - muffled.

 _It hurts._

And the pain. All she could feel was pain. Her body had been riddled by bullets and curses. She recalled Senpai desperately pressing hands upon her wounds, but she could no longer feel the touch.

Had she given up on her? Then why was she still here?

 _It hurts._

Death coming over her in many forms at once. What would happen after she was gone?

The Director, the Doctor, the whole people of the institution, they'd be gone too. The hope for humanity's survival would be no more.

Several drops of water fell over her face, momentarily distracting her from all the pain and questions. Overhead, she could see Fujimaru-senpai, her beautiful amber eyes glistening with tears.

"Senpai... Thank you..."

She felt relieved, to be able to say it.

As the world blackened, the only thing that filled her mind was how kind Fujimaru Ritsuka had been toward her. How she had cried for her, and now she in return wanted to talk with her more, getting to know her better.

Becoming her friend.

Protecting her.

However, the darkness she had fallen into was deep and lacking in way out.

 _"I'm here to help you grant that wish,"_ said a voice in the darkness.

Who?

 _"I am the Heroic Spirit who have heard the plea of your heart. I'm also here to aid humanity in this battle against extinction."_

What do you want from me?

 _"I need you to be my vessel. We have to be together to protect everything, to return light upon this dark future ahead of us. Would you accept me as a part of your soul, child?"_

... I accept.

If this will allow us to hope again.

If this is a chance to fulfill the purpose of my existence.

If this is a way for me to protect Senpai.

Then I accept!

The darkness was suddenly filled with light.

 _"Excellent,"_ said a knight holding a large cross-shaped shield. He, the owner of the voice, was standing with beautiful dawn sky behind his back.

"Now, child, tell me your name."

"... Mashu!"

 _"I see. That's an easy name to remember. As for me, I am..."_

"Mashu...!"

Mashu Kyrielight opened her eyes. The world returned, filled with rapidly blinking red lights. She could hear guns being fired and spells thrown in the distance. That's right. They were under attack. The institution was under attack.

"Senpai...?"

During her confusion, Fujimaru Ritsuka had enveloped her in a tight embrace.

"You're back! You're back! I thought you were dead but then you started glowing and your wounds started healing and, and... You're back!" the older girl cried and half sobbed onto her chest.

"Ah, Senpai..."

She felt warm under the embrace. And this uplifting feeling after being cried upon as you were gone and then being cried louder when you returned...

This was definitely happiness.

Mashu tried to move her hands. When she found they were fine and better than new, she used them to pat Ritsuka's back.

"I'm glad to see you too, but, don't we have to move? The situation's still dire, right?"

Hearing that, Ritsuka let go of her and sat up. She wiped tears off her eyes and slapped her cheeks, and her expression hardened with renewed spirit.

"Right! I brought you here earlier and locked the door. The Director and Doctor Romani led the enemies away from here, she said they have to reach the... uh... the time machine...?"

Mashu nodded at the information, then looked around. They were in the kitchen, behind a table. The Rayshift Development Project room should be three halls away. Indeed, the sounds of fighting were coming from that way.

And several more people were coming. She could hear their footsteps approaching, soon, they would pass before the kitchen door.

"Senpai, we're going to Trismegistus and reunite with Director Olga and Doctor Romani."

"Eh? But it's not safe and we have no way to pass the enemies. We don't even have any weapon..."

Mashu gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry. I will open a path and protect us all, Master."

Ritsuka blinked. "Huh? Master?"

"Yes, check the back of your right hand."

"What the- eeehhh? What's thiiis?"

Three marks, forming flower-shaped patterns, were glowing red on the back of Ritsuka's right hand.

"They were your command spells, Master. That's a proof that we're a pair of Master and Servant. And with that, I have been granted power to get us out of this situation."

Ritsuka looked even more confused. Mashu sighed.

"We'll talk more about this later, Master. You have to get down now, while I clear the way from enemies."

"Wait! Where are you going?! Mashu?!"

She stood and left her Senpai and Master, as power surged from within her. The power of heroic spirit. Her vision clear even under the red flashed darkness. Her hearing caught the sounds of closing in footsteps, allowing her mind to calculate her moves.

"Transform..."

With that command, she changed. Black plate armor in place of her uniform and jacket. The heroic spirit's massive cross-shaped shield strapped to her right arm. Heavy, but she could swing it easily enough to make it a usable weapon.

The enemies were right in front of the door.

"Haaahh!"

She charged, brandishing the shield in front of her to act as battering ram, and the door along with the wall was blown away from the impact.

Three men in black combat suit received the brunt of her assault, crashing into the wall to their side. The nine remaining jumped back and immediately stood in firing formation. Professionals. Magus killers, every single one of them.

Their curse-laden bullets bounced off the shield like mere pebbles. Standing behind it, Mashu wanted to smirk. She had never felt this brave, this daring, this confident.

This, was the taste of might. The exhilaration one feel upon facing certain victory.

She allowed a second of indulgence to savor her new power before she proceeded to demolish her foes.

"Servant Shielder, Mashu Kyrielight, commencing attack!"

* * *

 **The Night of Fate**

The sword made an arc as it was swung, nearly claiming the assailant's neck.

Clucking his tongue under steel helmet, the heavily armored knight jumped back in retreat, leaving Emiya Shirou sitting helplessly on the floor of his shed.

The one who ambushed the knight, the savior who granted him more time to live, stepped over between him and the broken door, allowing the moonlight overhead to reveal her appearance.

"This humble Assassin has come in answer of your summon," she said, her voice calming and melodic. Along with her beauty, it rendered Shirou utterly speechless.

His savior was a petite young woman with unblemished white skin. Soft pony-tailed hair the color of young cherry blossom petals. Sharp, gleaming eyes, the color of honey.

She was dressed in pristine white kimono and blue long-sleeved haori. A black scarf furled around her neck, and a katana was drawn and gripped firmly in her right hand.

A perfect blend of a woman's grace and beauty and the valor of a brave warrior. Upon looking at his flabbergasted expression for a while, she spoke; her eyes met his with unwavering intensity.

"Are you my Master?"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Welcome to my first story. I'm sure your head is full of what, how, why, etc. so let's all be cool and let me give you a gist of what I am doing here.**

 **So, this is an AU fate/stay night story obviously, with elements of apocrypha and grand order thrown in. Why and how it'd come to be is the mystery box that will be opened in the future. Be patient and don't be too quick to judge!**

 **Confirming the events of this chapter:**

 **\- Yes, in this AU, Gilgamesh was slain by Altria in the 4th HGW**

 **\- Ruler Jeanne D'Arc is here!**

 **\- The Chaldea organization here is _a bit_ different from the original, as is their purpose and the threat they are facing.**

 **\- I'm using Mashu instead of Mash because does anyone out there really name their kid _Mash?_**

 **\- That is indeed Sakura Saber that comes to be Shirou's Pokemon in the end. Though her class is Assassin here.**

 **\- The Servant who attacks Shirou should be obvious enough, I think.**

 **Okay, that's it from me. Tell me what you think, and maybe add some juicy criticisms when you're at it. See ya!**


	2. Out in the Cold

**All those hypes and excitements in the prologue? Well, we're tuning it down a notch or two this chapter  
**

 **Disclaimer: Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Apocrypha, and Fate/Grand Order are properties of Type-Moon.**

 **Let's hope Disney doesn't buy them too.**

* * *

The underground chamber of Matou residence was unusually bright on this occasion, though Sakura was not any less eager to get away. She looked ahead, focusing on the source of light and ignoring the darkest corners of the chamber and the wriggling sounds they were hiding. The summoning circle had been drawn with mercury and neon on the stony floor, glowing brightly with blue and green colors. The time was ripe for the ritual, as the mana flowing into the circle was reaching its peak capacity.

The Servant summoning ritual. A gamble to prove your worth as a magus who seek the Holy Grail.

"You may begin, Sakura," her grandfather rasped from behind. She could sense the stare of his eyes boring onto her back, freezing her spine with their cold ruthlessness. If you fail, you''ll be punished, was what her grandfather didn't say but definitely meant to.

Without answering, Sakura went to stand right before the swirls of light the circle had become. Here was she, facing what was perhaps the most crucial moment in her life as a magus, and she brought nothing. Not even a catalyst. Only her nude form there was, magic circuits rotating, hand outstretching toward the light.

"O void, o silver, o iron, be mine foundation," she began to chant the summoning aria. As the chanting was carried on, the mana in the air and within her body resonated and formed a path. She held onto that path, her mind focusing on getting the spirit who might hear her calling to materialize.

"... thy body shall be mine to command, and mine fate lies under thy sword..."

Trickling sensation and increasingly scorching heat spreaded under her skin as her circuits spun into overdrive. She wasn't sure, even at this point, if it was right for her to be a Master. Being a Master meant you have to fight, to kill... and one of these day, she'd come face to face with one certain foe...

"... I shall be the virtue of all which lay beyond. I shall reveal the evils of all which lay beyond..."

She didn't desire the Grail, but fighting in this war had become akin to a purpose for her. What she dearly desired would be granted if the Grail was to appear for the Matou clan. Her grandfather had promised it. And over that promise, she laid down her hopes and carried on.

"Break out of thine binding, o guardian of the balance!"

The dark chamber exploded with light. Sakura stumbled back as she felt the stone floor beneath her feet give away.

A pair of hands caught hers, and righted her before she fell. As the light died down, she realized that the hands belonged to a childlike figure draped in black hooded cloak, standing in the summoning circle. A pair of lilac colored eyes peeked out under the hood, staring straight into hers.

"... Are you... my Servant?"

"... Yes. I am Lancer."

Lancer was a girl whose height barely reached Sakura's breasts. A child with small bones and delicate flesh. Yet she easily support Sakura's weight when she slumped forward in exhaustion. In their current position, Sakura's body practically enveloped her Servant's. Like when she had been a child, she used to hug her teddy bear this way, too.

This was the hero she was supposed to command?

Must she order this child to kill, one day?

"Well done, Sakura. This is not as good as what I hoped, but you did summon a Servant. You may rest for tonight."

Amidst the questions intruding her mind, her grandfather voice got through. He sounded quite pleased. Good, then. No training for tonight. Great relief washed over her, allowing the exhaustion to take over.

"Master?" Lancer called from under her, but Sakura was unable to answer.

Zouken's withdrawing footsteps and the angry protesting noise of worms being denied their dinner were the last thing she heard before her vision went pitch black.

* * *

 **Fate of Black and Crimson**

 ** _\- Out in the Cold -_**

* * *

Sometimes Sakura would glance to her left as she walked to school this morning. It was a strange feeling, to see nothing when you knew there was something - or rather, someone, by your side.

Her invisible companion finally spoke when they were near the school.

 _"What is it, Sakura?"_

The question echoed in her mind. She almost replied out loud before catching herself.

"Nothing, Lancer. I'm just trying to get used to your presence, that's all. There's nothing you should worry about."

 _"... Is my presence a bother to you?"_

"No-"

... Oh.

Was that dejection she heard in Lancer's voice? She could practically imagine how her Servant looked right now. A downcast expression, upturned lips...

The kind of expression that didn't suit Lancer at all.

"No! Not at all, Lancer! In fact I feel more secure than ever with you by my side... uh, it's just... we have only known each other for one night, so I'm not quite sure what to do. Like... like when you just made a new friend... ?"

Lancer didn't say anything.

Sakura wished there was a wall ahead of her so she could give it consecutive headbutts. Why was she so awkward and rambling so much? It was not hard to speak casually with Emiya-Senpai or Fujimura-Sensei or...

Oh, right. They were the closest friends she ever had. There were no other.

 _"I am Sakura's friend..."_ said Lancer quietly, as though she just learned some revelatory proverb.

"Eh?"

Sakura forgot to keep her voice down this time. Not that it mattered any, since there were no people nearby to hear.

 _"Am I your friend?"_ asked Lancer. The tone of her voice was barely any different than before, but Sakura sensed something new.

Expectation. For once, Lancer wanted to hear a particular answer from her.

"Not quite yet, Lancer. But I think we're getting there."

 _"... I see."_

Yet another different kind of emotion in that curt reply. Satisfaction. Or, dare she said, happiness.

Sakura smiled silently. She had thought that Lancer was a very stoic individual, if not completely emotionless. But now she knew she was wrong.

Lancer was just like how she used to be. Back when she hadn't known Emiya Shirou.

Anyway, now she thought that she and Lancer need to know each other better. Maybe they could have some chats tonight, as they patrol the city. Maybe she should prepare snacks or something they could enjoy together? Servants don't need to eat, though...

 _"This is school?"_ Lancer asked as they reached just outside of the schoolgate. Sakura nodded.

 _"So many people..."_

Sakura couldn't help but giggle at the Servant's awed whisper. Curious as a cat, this adorable Lancer of hers.

First thing first, she made way to the archery dojo. She had to excuse her abscene this morning. Just several steps away from the door, it opened to allow Emiya Shirou out.

 _"He looks nice."_

Just as Lancer commented as such, Sakura stopped in her track. Her eyes widened at the sight of Emiya-Senpai having the right half of his gi undone, exposing his shoulder and half of his chest.

Nice indeed.

 _... Wait! No! No! No! Bad Sakura! Bad! Bad!_ She shook her head to dispell the evil thought.

Meanwhile, the boy in question had taken notice of her presence and waved at her.

"Good morning, Sakura," he greeted, there was his usual smile, as he wiped the sweats off his face with a small white towel. He went to the nearby faucet, most likely to clean himself up.

"G-good morning, Emiya-Senpa- I mean Vice Captain!"

Emiya-san laughed. "It's okay to just pick one for me, you know," he said jokingly. He bent down to pour tap water onto the towel, then used it to wipe his arm and shoulder.

"I-I see you've worked yourself good today, Senpai," Sakura commented. When in doubt, refer to him as 'Senpai'.

"Yup. Feels pretty good. How are you holding up, by the way? Everything's okay? Fuji-nee said she wished to eat your cooking last night."

"Ah, well, about that, I'm sorry. For missing today's morning practice, too."

Shirou stood and fixed his clothes, much to her relief and slight disappointment. Yes, only slight. Really.

"Did you forget? You already asked for my permission yesterday afternoon. I've told Fuji-ne, sorry, Fujimura-sensei and Mitsu-, I mean, Captain, too. They didn't mind at all."

"It's okay to just pick one for them, you know," she couldn't resist.

"Ha ha. You cheeky kouhai, you. Anyway, was everything alright on your end?" he repeated the question.

She nodded. "Yes. It's all good, now."

"Shinji's coming to school today, then?"

At that, Sakura fell silent.

True. There was one thing currently not alright within the Matou household (Grandfather's opinion about this might differ, though). She had been busy with summoning Lancer and falling asleep the entire night, she forgot about her own brother. Though she knew that he was well, physically. Emotionally, though... it was very unlikely that he'd return home anytime soon.

"Nii-san... is still not home yet... also, I don't think I can visit your house this evening..."

Frowns appeared on Emiya-Senpai's forehead as he seemed to fall into thinking. Sakura dipped her head to the side, sighing at her own thoughtlessness. He was surely suspicious of her, now. What she just told him basically contradicted her earlier statement that everything 'is all good'. Really, she was so clumsy.

"Ah, hey, it's okay Sakura," he said. "Take your time with your family matters. I couldd keep an eye out for Shinji the next time I go uptown. The argument you two had... I had a hand on that, too."

"Emiya-senpai..."

"And... uh, if things ever got too hard for you, you can always come to me. I'd do the best to help you."

The amount concern he was showing to her took her aback. She felt ashamed and guilty for thinking he'd be suspicious of her. Emiya-senpai was not the kind of person whose thought immediately went to the dark end at the slightest hint of wrongness.

Unlike her, he wasn't a magus, after all.

"Thank you, Emiya-senpai," she said.

"I did nothing," he replied.

 _"There's blood on his hand,"_ Lancer said, so unexpectedly that Sakura needed a second to discern what she heard. Her eyes immediately fell upon the left hand of the guy in question, which was bleeding.

She gasped.

"Emiya-senpai! Your hand!"

"Huh? What the hell..." noticing the blood dripping down, he quickly pulled his sleeve up.

What he unveiled caused a shiver to run down Sakura's back. Not that the wound on the back of his hand was particularly severe, no. It was the way the wound had shaped into strange tattoo-like patterns. Eerily, if not exactly, similar to the ones she had had two days ago, which had now transformed into the command seals connecting her and Lancer.

"Uh, Sakura? Please don't worry too much. This is just a small wound and it doesn't even hurt. I'll just clean it up and it'll heal in no time."

To reassure her, he smiled.

She felt sick, her stomach tied into knot. The wound was not hurting. Yet one more similarity to the one she had. Was he really going to become...?

"Are you bad with blood? ... yeah, I should fix this already..."

 _"Sakura. There's a Servant nearby."_

Shirou and Lancer spoke at almost exactly the same time, but the latter was louder to Sakura's ear, being said directly into her mind. She reacted to that one, whipping her head quickly to the direction of the school gate. There, stood a student in a red coat whom she knew quite well.

Tohsaka Rin, from Class 2-A. The most popular girl in school for her good looks and excellent grades. She was also a prodigious magus, and the heiress to one of the three founding families.

Of course, Sakura thought. Of course she was a Master, too. It was to be expected - she _had_ expected it.

All the way across the yard, Tohsaka-Senpai must have noticed Lancer's presence, as she began to head her way. Sakura unwittingly took a step backward, her heart thumped loudly. She was not prepared to confront any Master yet, let alone one as powerful as Tohsaka Rin. They couldn't be fighting right now, could they? This was daylight, at school, and with so many people nearby...

"Hey, isn't that Tohsaka coming over here?"

She jumped and swerved around quickly. "E-Emiya-senpai!?"

"Y-Yes?"

He looked just as surprised as she was. But she got to hurry and make him leave. If a fight between Servants were really about to break out here...

"Here, use this to treat your hand! I have something important to talk with Tohsaka-senpai! Something private!"

She gave him her handkerchief. He accepted it in confusion, but still actually went for the faucet without further question. Though she could hear him muttering, "She hates blood that much, huh?" so there was a bit misunderstanding she should explain later.

Later, because Tohsaka Rin was closing in. Looking closely with a bit of prana reinforcing her eyes, Sakura could see the air next to Tohsaka-senpai was shimmering with a slight tinge of red hue. A Servant in astral form.

"Good morning, Matou-san," the second year senior calmly greeted. Her eyes glanced for a second to where Lancer was standing before settled on Sakura. "I see there's something new with you, today."

"G-Good morning... and likewise, Tohsaka-senpai."

The Tohsaka heiress smirked as she flipped the long tail of her raven black hair. "Don't be so tense. I'm not here to fight you. Not this early, at least."

Sakura gulped. Early in the war, or early in the day? Either way, she couldn't see herself getting out of a confrontation against Tohsaka-senpai. Eventually it would happen, all she could do at this point was accepting that fact.

"Actually, let's pospone the serious conversation for later. Class is about to start in less than fifteen minutes, and there's a nosy person nearby."

Saying so, she threw a curios look over Sakura's back, toward Emiya-senpai. "Why hasn't he changed into uniform, by the way? That's sloppy of him."

"Ah, he is..." Sakura trailed off before stopping herself, wincing at her carelessness. She couldn't just tell Tohsaka-Senpai that Emiya-Senpai was injured, right? She would be curious and went to check the wound herself and find out that he might be a Master candidate...

But it was too late. Tohsaka-Senpai already strutted over to Emiya-senpai before Sakura could think of anything else to say. She could only followed from behind with hesitant step and bated breath. By the faucet, Emiya-senpai had finished washing his wound and was now struggling to wrap the handkerchief she had given him earlier around his hand.

"Emiya. What are you doing?" asked Tohsaka-senpai. "Aren't you going to class?"

Emiya-senpai turned his head and smiled sheepishly. "Hi, morning, Tohsaka. Well, actually, I got a little injury. Thanks, though. I'll be changing right after this."

"What are you thanking me for again?" Tohsaka-senpai sighed. "Anyway, what got you injured?"

Without waiting for his reply, she knelt down next to him and took Sakura's handkerchief away from his hand. "That's not how you wrap it, idiot," she berated him as she began to wrap his hand with the cloth. She paused for a bit, likely because she noticed the marks on his hand. Sakura bit her lower lip, dreading whatever about to come.

"Well, it's hard to do it with one hand. But I'm not too sure how I got hurt. Maybe I had it during practice and it got bigger after that. Anyway, it doesn't hurt, so you don't need to worry."

Tohsaka-senpai's shoulder seemed to tense up before she growled, "Who would worry about your small boo-boo, you idiot!"

"Ouch!" Emiya-senpai winced as the makeshift bandage was tightened with more force than necessary. "The heck was that for?"

"That's for saying something stupid so early in the morning."

"Well, I thought you were worried because, uh, your look suddenly changed for a bit back there..."

"Whoa. Now you're seeing things, too. Are you sure your hand is the only thing that got hurt?"

The two of them exchanged banters for quite a while after that, with Sakura (and the Servants) watching by. They were getting along really well, her Senpais. Tohsaka Rin, usually very reserved and cool, could freely act out on her emotions when she was with Emiya Shirou. Likewise, Emiya-Senpai was considerably more open and talkactive with Tohsaka Rin to converse with.

It would be a lie if she said she wasn't jealous from looking at those two. How she wished she could talk that freely with either one of them, without the careful wording and constant half-truths.

"Okay, I don't want to get late, so I'll go and change. Sakura, Tohsaka, you guys can go ahead. I'll see you around," said Emiya-Senpai as he got up.

"Don't blame me later if you do get late. Come on, Sakura, we got a lot of things we need to talk about," Tohsaka-Senpai also said, following suit.

"See you, Emiya-Senpai."

He responded her parting words with a curt yeah and went back in to the dojo, leaving her with Tohsaka-Senpai, who seemed pretty upset. "To think that that dunce might get involved, too. This is going to be a pain..."

Sakura decided to speak. "Um... Tohsaka-Senpai, are you going to do something to Emiya-Senpai?"

Rin huffed and walked toward the school building, leaving Sakura no choice but to walk by her side to hear her reply.

"As the second owner of this land and a magus, I have to do something. But what it is I'll be doing depends on what happen next. If he is qualified as a Master and a Servant is summoned, I'd have to inform him of this war. If he decides to not fight, I'd take his command seals and Servant, and erase his memories."

"... I see."

Surely, that was the next best thing to happen. The true best thing would be if nothing happen at all.

"More importantly, you should be worrying about yourself, Matou-san."

"... Eh?"

"You are a Master. Sooner or later, you're going to have to fight."

"I know..."

"As for me, I'm not going to attack you anytime soon. Not today, definitely."

Sakura gritted her teeth.

"Because I've got a deal to offer to you and your Servant."

"... What do you mean?"

"We'll talk about it during lunchbreak. Meet me at the rooftop by then."

Sakura didn't say anything in reply as Tohsaka Rin quickened her pace and got ahead of her before she could say anything, essentially dismissing this meeting. She watched as her fellow Master entered the school building and vanished from sight. Only then did she breathe out a long sigh of relief. A favor to ask? That meant they were going to be allies, right? Tohsaka-Senpai and she, fighting together.

Could that kind of miraculous turn of event really happen?

* * *

Sakura went to the rooftop during the afternoon break, as had been promised. It was quite windy and cold up here, her hair was immediately rustled the moment she opened the door.

"Hi," greeted Tohsaka Rin. The second year student stood to her right by the fence. Another wind blew by, fluttering the end of their skirts.

"Sorry," said Rin. "There's no better place where we can safely talk about magi business around here."

"It's fine, Tohsaka-senpai."

"Right. Well, I guess there's no need to dilly-dally anymore, huh? Why don't you show me yours, then I'll show you mine?"

Sakura knew what she meant, but couldn't help to not blush. "Senpai, please don't tease me," she said quietly.

Rin smiled that catty smirk from this morning. "Sorry. I thought it'd break the tense mood. I told you this morning, right? I don't want to fight you yet. Well, I guess I need to make it up to you anyway. Archer, show yourself."

The air next to her simmered for a bit, before a tall man appeared from nothing. Sakura had to look up a little to see his face clearly.

Servant Archer looked like a knight, dressed in red clothes with black armor. His skin was dark brown, his hair white. His eyes were sharp and colored like steel as they flickered to her side, where Lancer was.

"Lancer," she called.

Frowns appeared upon Archer's face as Lancer materialized next to her. It was an odd look to have. Did he know Lancer? Was he a greek hero as well?

"Whoa. This is your Servant?"

It was unclear exactly what about Lancer that amazed her so much, but Rin squatted down to meet Lancer at eye level anyway. The small Servant stayed silent as she stared back. The taller girl broke the eye contact after a few seconds, looking up to Sakura.

"Now, now. Sakura, why don't you tell your Servant to not be so cold to me? We're here to discuss a deal, after all."

"... Ah, yes. "

"Yeah," Rin nodded, getting back to her feet as she casually patted Lancer's head. To Sakura's astonishment, her Servant didn't react to the touch with more than curious look. "There's some... circumstances in the city I have to take care of, and I could use another Servant's hand. That's why I want you and Lancer to be my allies."

Sakura tilted her head. Miracles did happen, as it turned.

"There is a spike in number of missing person cases around Shinto this past week. The church has done some investigation, and Caren told me that the people who are related to the missing persons have had their memories erased by unknown party. None of the missing have been found."

"Are you thinking this is the work of a Master and Servant?"

"That's the most likely scenario. Anyway, as the second owner of this city, I have to investigate this. I can't allow whatever this is to progress any further."

Thinking about it, Sakura found nothing to disagree with. The story did sound like someone was playing foul and must be stopped. Actually, many of the people she cared about often hang around Shinto as well.

Mitsuzuri-Senpai lived there. Fujimura-Sensei often had family businesses. Emiya-Senpai had his part time job.

If anything bad ever happen to even just one of them...

"What is your plan, Senpai? And how can I help?"

During the whole conversation, Archer and Lancer had had their eyes on each other. Upon hearing her question, though, their attention shifted to her

"Are you saying you're willing to cooperate with my Master?" asked Archer, voice deep and heavy, but without any particular signs of hostility that she could hear. Though she did notice that he deliberately said 'my Master' instead of 'us'.

"Are you sure you have what it takes to fight?" he asked again. Skepticism can be heard plainly in his voice. "Cooperation means that you, too, have to fight."

Sakura gulped. This felt like an interrogation. He thought she was weak, and he wasn't wrong. He wasn't just doubting Sakura's potential as an ally, but also her status as a Master.

"Sakura doesn't have to fight," said Lancer firmly. "I'll be the one fighting. She'll be safe, whatever she choose to do. You and your Master don't have to worry."

"You could have convinced me otherwise. Leaving her side would make your Master a target. No matter how strong you are, it's only a matter of time until danger gets near your Master."

Archer pointedly looked down at Lancer. The small Servant glared in return, as if challenging him. No, she _was_ challenging him. Lancer hated being underestimated.

"Ugh, must you antagonize our ally like that?" said Rin. "Sorry about him, Sakura."

She shook her head. "No, it's all right, Senpai. I admit I don't look fit to be a Master. I can't fight on my own, and I'm not as skilled a magus as you are. But even so, I'll make sure I won't be a burden to you. I... I want to be of use to you."

Rin blinked her eyes several times, stunned in reaction to her words.

"You're that eager to help, huh?" she asked with a smile, a softer one than the one from before.

Sakura nodded, blushing slightly. Now that she had said what she had wanted to say, she was embarrassed. What had possessed her, to speak so bluntly like that?

"I see," Archer huffed. "If that's what you've decided, then I have no complain."

Saying so, he turned away and disappeared into thin air. What could she say about his attitude? He was certainly gruff and brusque, but she didn't hate it. It was different from her grandfather's cruel threats or her brother's spiteful taunts. Archer's harsh honesty was out of care for his Master. He was testing Sakura's resolve to see if she would only become additional burden to Tohsaka Rin.

At least, that was what she'd like to think.

"I guess that's one less obstacle to this alliance," said the older magus. "Now we can plan our move."

"Huh? I thought you've had it planned from the beginning..." Sakura decided not to continue her question because Rin's face suddenly went a little red.

"W-Well, of course I have to know if you already have a plan of your own before we can decide on anything!"

"... Oh, I see. There's no long-term strategy yet with me and Lancer, but I planned to go around town with her tonight. She needs to know her battlefield."

"Hmm... all right, how about this, then? For starter, I need you to limit Lancer's movement within Miyama Town, while I and Archer patrol Shinto. While the incidents so far has been in Shinto, it might be a distraction to let my guard over Miyama down. Our residences, the temple, and the entrance to the Einzbern Forest were also in Miyama, so I doubt that the place will stay peaceful for long."

"I see. I think I can agree to that, Senpai."

Tohsaka-senpai would watch over the west side of the city while she did the east. Quite the fair agreement. Sakura looked at Lancer to ask for her opinion, but the small Servant only nodded. Whatever she decided, Lancer would take her side. She was thankful to have such a reliable partner.

"We will have our regular meetings here, every noon during lunchbreak like this. We can share our findings and plan the next move that way."

She didn't see anything wrong with that idea, so Sakura agreed to that as well. However, what Tohsaka-Senpai had said also brought up the question that had been buried by the whole alliance discussion thing.

"That's a good idea and I agree with it, Senpai. But there's one thing..."

"Oh yeah? You can just say it."

"Have you had lunch?"

"No, I haven't- wait! What does that have to do with this?"

For once, it was Sakura's turn to smile smugly.

"Well, then. Now I must insist that you have lunch with me, Senpai."

* * *

If the day was cold, the night air was freezing when Sakura stepped out of the Matou residence and into the street. Even with her duffel coat and mitten gloves on, the cold still sent shiver all along her skin. For a moment she wondered how Lancer - who was intangible - fared, before remembering that Servants aren't bothered by the cold.

"Shall we go, Lancer?"

 _"Yes. Where are we going tonight?"_

"Just follow me for now."

 _"Very well."_

Sakura had planned that they took to west then south, making a round by Ryuudou Temple and the school, before going north alongside the river and then back home through the main street. There was no change to that plan. She walked the quiet, empty streets with moderate pace. After a while, she tried to strike up conversation.

"What do you think about this, Lancer? The modern age, I mean."

 _"It's different. So many people. So many lives."_

Lives. Lancer liked to emphasize the fact that there were a lot more people.

Sakura tried to imagine the kind of life you'd have to lead to cause you that impression. Back in the days of her legend, Lancer lived with her two sisters in a small island. Quiet, peaceful perhaps, but also lonely. And then, the god of sea paid them a visit one day...

Sakura shook her head, dispelling the thought.

"There's a lot more people in the next town. Tohsaka-Senpai and Archer are patroling there right now."

 _"I see."_

"Do you want to see it? I can talk to Tohsaka-Senpai to have you switch watching over Shinto with Archer."

 _"It's fine. I don't like crowds."_

"..."

"..."

It was evident that Lancer wasn't one for idle chat, if it wasn't obvious aleady.

 _"This place... is troublesome..."_

The front gate to Ryuudou Temple, however, got her to talk with a tinge of annoyance in her voice. Sakura could see why. The gate led to hundreds of stone stair, which then led up to the top of Mount Enzo, where the temple was located. It was already a difficult terrain to begin with, and with both natural and spiritual barrier walling the right and left side of the path, walking up would resemble entering a tunnel.

 _"My movement will be limited, and it'll be hard to initiate big attack, because anyone can see me coming."_

Lancer was used to particular kind of battles. Ambush, surprise attack, high-speed battle that left no room for counterattack. The path to Ryuudou Temple allowed none of her usual tactics, as only frontal eye to eye confrontation can be had here.

"Then we won't fight here," Sakura said. "Let's find a place that's more suitable for you."

They gave one last look to the temple gate before continuing on their night walk, heading east. They passed by the school, which they gave a once over.

 _"This place is my ideal battlefield. There are a lot of rooms to trap enemies and a large open field to release my noble phantasm."_

Sakura could imagine Lancer nodding her head in approval. However, while she did want her Servant to have advantages in the upcoming battles, using the school was not something she could just permit easily.

"Do hold back a little, okay? We still need this place, Holy Grail War or not."

 _"Yes. But, if it's Archer who were to fight me here, I must not hold back anything. Servants with long range attacks are my natural enemy."_

"... Huh? Archer...?"

Hadn't Lancer agreed to the alliance with Tohsaka-Senpai and Archer?

 _"Yes. In the end, only one out of the seven can have the Grail. Once our alliance comes to an end, he and I will fight."_

Sakura frowned. Lancer was right, in the end, she and Tohsaka Rin were enemies competing for the Holy Grail. A fight between them was inevitable.

 _"Are you upset, Sakura?"_

"... No. Not really. I know it's going to happen eventually."

But how she wanted that time to never come. How she wished for a distraction so that she could put this thought aside for now...

 _"Sakura. There's something ahead of us."_

"Huh? What do you mean? A Servant?

 _"It feels like a Servant, but... there's something different."_

"Different...?"

 _"There."_

Lancer materialized in front of her, facing forward with weapon ready in hands. Sakura instinctively took a step back as the petite Lancer suddenly became several times more intimidating. Her weapon was a massive scythe longer than she was tall. That, adding to her black hooded cape, gave the impression of a vicious grim reaper ready to rip the souls of the damned.

Somebody appeared from a nearby crossroad, slowly walking and stumbling about.

Sakura gulped nervously. This person who had caught Lancer's attention did look like someone a grim reaper would visit soon.

A young blonde foreign woman, dressed in uniform like clothes, staggered over the side of the street. One of her hand propped her hunched upper body by leaning against the nearest solid structure it could find while her other hand was clutching her stomach. Anyone with even half a conscience would approach her in concern, and anyone with fully functioning common sense would do that after giving the emergency line a call.

Sakura paused and waited with a bated breath. That miserable looking girl was not a normal human.

The amount of prana she was exuding was dimmer in comparison to Lancer's, but she was unmistakably a Servant. A weakened Servant, the Master nowhere to be seen.

 _What is this? A trap? An injured Servant would simply reverted to astral form until they healed, wouldn't they?_

"Your command, Master," said Lancer grimly. Her scythe poised to strike at anytime.

"Let's approach carefully."

Lancer led the way as they walked toward the strange Servant. The blonde girl noticed the two of them coming, and to Sakura's further confusion, smiled at them. Closer and with a streetlamp near where they stood, Sakura could see that she had a headwound; blood had seeped and dried over the locks of her golden hair.

"Good evening," the foreigner said politely - if weakly - in perfect Japanese. "Nice to meet you, Servant Lancer and her Master."

"G-Good evening..." Sakura replied hesitantly. Sure, she had suspected that the girl was a Servant, but being greeted like such did catch her off-guard (was the scythe a dead giveaway about Lancer's class, or had she somehow already known?). On the other hand, Lancer was completely stoic.

"Who are you?" the hooded Servant asked.

"I am Servant Ruler, mediator of The Holy Grail War."

"..."

That name didn't ring any bell no matter how hard Sakura think about it. For all she knew, there were seven Servants and none of them was named Ruler. As for the claim that she was a mediator, the war was supposed to be mediated, or rather, overseen, by a human representative from the Holy Church and not a Servant.

"You didn't know either, did you?" the girl, Ruler, sighed in resignment. Her smile gained bitterness. "Well, I can at least tell you that I'm not here to seek a fight."

"... I'm sorry," Sakura said. There was no deception she could sense about this Ruler Servant. "Lancer, you can lower your weapon."

The blade of Lancer's scythe touched the ground with the tiny Servant holding the shaft with her right hand. Not hostile, but still alert. Ruler gave her an appreciative nod.

"Then what brought you here? And why are you injured?"

Lancer's questions were all business the way she said it. Sakura shifted awkwardly, but Ruler didn't seem offended at all.

"I'm currently looking for informations from the founding families. Earlier I have met with the Church's mediator, Ms. Hortensia, and Lady Illyasviel of Einzbern Family. As for my current condition... Lady Illyasviel mistook me for a hostile and sent her Servant to chase me away. I did manage to have conversation with her, though."

Ruler seemed and sounded honest enough with the explanation, but Sakura couldn't help but notice that she deliberately hide several things. Like the class of Einzbern's Servant, and what kind of information she was looking for and whether she managed to obtain it or not.

"You are a Servant... but your blood smells like human..." said Lancer, not letting her guard down in the slightest.

"Ah, about that," Ruler said, looking sad and bashful with the way her gaze was cast to the ground. "I'm different from other Servants. Instead of gaining body from the Grail and sustained by a Master, I stay in this world by occupying human body as a host."

So that was why she didn't just stay in spirit form to let herself heal.

But then...

"If your body belongs to a human, then... would the owner be okay if you got injured?" Sakura asked.

Ruler nodded, though not looking any less upset. "She is all right yes, the wound can heal on its own like they did on Servant as long as I'm in control of her body. However, it doesn't change the fact that I've put this girl's life in grave danger. May the Lord forgive my carelessness."

"I see..."

If she wanted to, Sakura could order Lancer to end this Servant's life with one swift strike. But now, knowing that her body was that of a living human, there was no way she could do that. She was many things, many terrible things. She didn't want to add murderer into the list.

"Where are you going?" Lancer asked.

"I'm thinking of going back to town and rest, but there's no vehicles passing around here. Also- ...ugh..."

"Ruler?"

Suddenly, Ruler winced and doubled over as she tightened the clutch of her arms over her belly. Sakura instinctively took a step forward to help, but was paused by a very loud growl. Now kneeling on the ground, Ruler turned her reddened face away from the Master and Servant pair.

"... I'm really famished. And lost," the human-Servant said miserably.

"..."

If all these turns of events had confused Sakura, then this was what rendered her completely at a loss. The dilemma was real. She couldn't just leave a person starving on the street at night, but she was also uncertain about the whole situation. Was it okay to help this unknown Servant? Could Servants get hungry, or was it just Ruler? She looked at Lancer who looked just as dumbfounded.

 _Your decision, Master_ , Lancer said in her mind.

Sakura thought about it. There was no obvious benefit in helping Ruler but...

 _"Why did you do that, Senpai? Did he promise you a favor or something?"_

 _"Nah. Nothing like that. He needed the help, so I did it. Helping people is a good thing, isn't it?"_

... If Emiya-senpai were in her position right now...

"Ruler-san. I'll have Lancer carry you until we got to the nearest bus stop. Is that okay with you?"

Ruler opened her mouth but stopped short of talking. She glanced about between Sakura and Lancer, considering her option. Finally, after another growl escaped her stomach, she sighed. "... Receiving help from a Master and Servant would be a violation to Servant Ruler's conduct of neutrality. However since Leticia's body is nearing its limit, I suppose there's no other option but to accept your offer. I'm truly grateful, Lancer's Master. Though I'm sorry that I can't repay your kindness with anything, especially in regards of this war."

"T-This was nothing..." Sakura said, embarrassed by Ruler's formality. It felt like speaking to a noble or something...

Now that it had been decided, Lancer offered her hand to help Ruler up on her feet. However, just as the weakened Servant about to take it, she jolted as though struck by electric current. She whipped her head southway, frowns forming on her face.

"What's wrong?" Lancer asked in alert.

"A Servant just revealed itself. It's... Saber."

"I don't sense anything," said Lancer.

"It's about two kilometers away... souththwest..."

The fact that Ruler could sense a Servant's presence from that far was impressive, but what she revealed took away most of Sakura's attention. Two kilometers southwest. That area was where Emiya-senpai's house was located. She remembered the wound on his hand from this morning. Could this be... had he been chosen as a Master?

"What is Saber doing there?" Lancer continued. Ruler closed her eyes in concentration.

"Saber is... entering a bounded field. There's a magus house in there..."

Sakura involuntarily took a step back as her heart hammered under her chest. The only house with bounded field in that area of Miyama was Emiya-senpai's.

That meant...

"Lancer! We have to get there immediately!" she yelled without thinking. Both Lancer and Ruler gave her surprised look.

"Master...?"

"Hurry! Or Senpai will be killed!"

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTES**

 **And that concludes our first proper chapter. Sheesh, it sure took a long time. End of the year, everything was going pretty smoothly. There were several parts where I got stuck, but I thought I could manage to release this by the first half of January. However, life found a way to slow me down. I was moved to different department, and my new job required me to learn a lot of new stuff. Got very little time to write, and even less drive to do it. But hey, it's finally here, and I think I can write faster too, now that things have settled in the workplace.**

 **Many, many big thanks to you who have liked and followed this story! Especially you who have so kindly reviewed and even PM'd me. I'm truly happy reading your responses, and you guys have inspired me with your insights. Also, there seems to be a little misunderstanding with my AN from the prologue. No, I'm not forbidding you guys from making guesses, voicing out your theories and concerns, or even request things from me. You can. I'm open to it. Just, you know, be civil about it, m'kay?**

 **Now, onto the chapter itself.**

 **\- Let me introduce you to our Lancer, Ana-chan! Her cloak is the most moe thing ever, seriously. Unlike our regular stupid sexy Rider, this version of the youngest gorgon is a lot more demure and innocent and I think that'd make her dynamics with Sakura a pretty cute treat.**

 **\- Speaking of Sakura, yes, she is actively fighting here for... reasons. I decided to have her play an important supporting part because after the UBW anime and Heaven's Feel movie, now I really like her (prior, she was just okay, albeit very sympathetic). I'm sorry that because of this your favorite character Shinji doesn't make an appearance, but I promise his abscene is important for later development.**

 **\- Shirou here is also the vice-captain of the archery club. How the hell does he balance his schedules? He's largely the same in personality as his canon self, the differences will become apparent in the later chapters. But anyway, he's still a dunce.**

 **\- Jeanne is in slightly more difficult situation compared to her adventure in Ahocryppa, mostly because almost nobody expect her to even exist at all. Yup, her presence is a big anomaly and it is related to the Grail, just don't expect a reveal anytime soon.**

 **\- Rin and Archer are, well, Rin and Archer. Nothing new to be seen here. Not until Gudako and Mashu appeared, at least. It might seem out of character to have her propose an alliance with Sakura, but we know that (not so) deep inside, she's still loving her little sis. With Sakura openly participating in the war, Rin has the choice to either fight or ally with her, and I don't think Rin would just pick the former. Beside, as Lancer said, once all the other enemies are down, they can happily fight to their heart's content. Yay for family!**

 **It's getting too long, so let's wrap it up. Tell me what you think, and maybe add some juicy criticisms when you're at it. See ya!**

* * *

\- On the Next "Fate of Black and Crimson" -

It was a sight that was both bizarre, yet captivating at the same time.

A beautiful sword-wielding woman stood against a knight in shining white and red accented armor.

Overhead, illuminating the yard they were on, was the silvery light of the moon.

Around them was the cool air of early winter night which didn't seem to faze either of them in the slightest.

There was no sound. Only heavy, eerie quietness, as though the world had chosen to stay silent and bear witness to the inevitable clash of blade between the two.

"I have met Rider and Caster, and you don't look like either an Archer or Lancer. Tell me, Servant. Are you Assassin or Berserker?" the knight inquired, with a heavy voice coming from under steel visor.

The swordswoman smiled in confidence. "I am but an Assassin, Sir Knight. Though I'm afraid the only way I know to end one's life is through direct confrontation. My apologies if that isn't what you expected of my class."

The knight hefted his longsword over one shoulder with ease as he spoke, "Hmph, I don't care how anyone would come to me. I'll just cut them down no matter what. But yes, this is pretty interesting. A killer acting like a brave warrior. It's not just that person's face that you imitate, I see. And for that, I must defeat you."

The Assassin tilted her head in genuine curiosity. "A person whom I imitate? Pray tell, Sir Knight, who is this fellow you are speaking of?"

"You look... just like my father."

There was a hiss coming from the knight's armor as the horned helmet fully covering his head suddenly unraveled. The molded steel retracted into the armor, revealing the knight's face.

"I never fathered anyone, nor have I ever imagined to produce such a beautiful daughter," Assassin said, unable to conceal her astonishment.

A female. The knight she had assumed to be a man, was, in fact, a beautiful young woman. Long golden hair braided and tied into a ponytail, wild like a flame. Her eyes were green like sharpened emerald, her skin white.

"Calling me a beauty is an insult, Assassin," she growled.

"Oh my, that was not my intention. I merely stated what I honestly thought, Lady Saber."

"Don't. Call. Me. Lady." Saber growled again, this time in lower and deeper voice. There was a wind blowing from her direction; the air breezed away in fear of her seething rage.

However, in response to that surge of killing intent, Assassin only smiled a cold smile, her eyes gleamed with anticipation for battle. Come at me, they seemed to taunt.

"Is this your way to assassinate me? Provoking me until I drop dead?"

Assassin shrugged at Saber's counter insult. "As you can see, my sword is drawn and so is yours. Shouldn't it be obvious by now, or do you have anymore questions?"

Saber paused, snarled in frustration, and brought her greatsword before her, pointing at Assassin. "Come, then!" she shouted. "Attack me, and I'll show you what pain is!"

Assassin put up a stance, holding the grip of her katana next to her ear, the edge of the blade directed upward while the tip pointed to her opponent. A strange form, to Saber's eyes. What kind of attack could be initiated by readying the sword in that position?

"Here I come, Saber. What you've done to my Master, I shall pay them back in folds."

Smile had gone from Assassin's beautiful face, replaced with complete determination and focus. It was as if a switch had been flicked inside her mind, turning her delicate-looking body into a fighting machine.

"Hah! Big words!"

That was the last words exchanged between them.

Assassin's slender legs sprung forward, launching her body straight towards the armored warrior with faster velocity than a speeding arrow.

Saber, in return, let out a war cry as her greatsword came down like thunder to intercept the swordswoman's charge.

Clash of steel against steel, thick greatsword against slim katana, broke the quietness of the night.

The knight with a desire for glory against a soldier with the duty to protect.

Two warriors of different worlds and different eras drew the curtain open to the chaotic stage that was the Fifth Holy Grail War.

* * *

\- Chapter Two: _Lion in the Wolf's Den_ -


	3. Lion in the Wolf's Den

**Disclaimer: Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Apocrypha, and Fate/Grand Order are properties of Type-Moon and the affiliated companies.  
**

 **By the way, do you guys want Fou to appear in this? Either way is fine by me, so I'll let you decide in the comment!**

* * *

Despite rumors of the city being unsafe being thrown around, tonight's work at Copenhagen Bar and Liquour Store was just as uneventful as ever. Shirou walked in and out of the storage at the back of the shop, taking out crates full of empty liquor bottles and bringing in new, freshly filled ones from the truck outside. Occasionally he would look out to the street, thinking that he might spot his missing friend Matou Shinji, but no such luck so far.

"...!"

He thought he saw some guy with curly hair - just like Shinji's - pass by the other side of the street, prompting him to stepped further in to the sidewalk to have a better look.

"Ah!"

A woman, unsuspecting of anything, nearly crashed into him. She would have fallen if not for Shirou quickly grabbing her hands and helping her steadying on her feet.

"I'm sorry! Are you all right, Miss?"

"It's all right, I was being careless, too," she said, her voice friendly.

It was at this moment that Shirou gave a good look at the woman, and-

 _Holy ..._

He gulped as he realized that he was in what his more perverse classmates would call a 'lucky accident'. The woman was... hot. She was good-looking; her make-up and hairdo did really well to accentuate her matured, pretty face. Her dress would make Fuji-Nee scream scandalous - short green dress that revealed just enough of her cleavage and upper legs to make several parts of his body grew warm.

"Is there something wrong with me?" she asked as she smiled playfully.

"No! Nothing! You're perfect!"

Yelling so, he let go of her hands. God, had he just taken advantage of the situation there? Shame!

The woman only chuckled at his reaction. "Why, thank you!" she laughed mirthfully, rendering his mind even more out of wack. Any more of this and his cheeks might burst from so much blood pooling underneath.

"Uh, then, I, uh, need to get back to work..."

"Oh? You're working in Saturday night? Such a dilligent young man~"

Oh crap, his mouth was about to twist into a smile he just knew would look creepy. Calm down, Shirou. Easy. She was just praising you. Time to go back to work and forget about this meeting. Nothing to be excited about...

"T-Thank you. Well then, excuse me..."

"Wait, isn't your hand injured?"

Perhaps he should write this on paper: women always notice injured hands. Just this morning there were Sakura, Tohsaka, Fuji-Nee, later Mitsuzuri in the afternoon, then now his boss' daughter Neko-san and this lady here. He shouldn't share it with his classmates, though, or they might actually start harming their own hands. Funny thinking aside, the lady took his injured hand and began to fix the loosened makeshift bandage without being asked. Oh yeah, he got to wash the handkerchief and return it to Sakura for later...

 _Wait! The lady!_

"Uh, Ma'am, it's fine, your hand may get dirty. It's already healed, anyway."

"My, aren't you quite the reserved one, ... mm?"

Shirou, not getting that the friendly woman was asking for his name, could only scratch the back of his head awkwardly and avert his eyes from her chest. That was why he missed the woman's narrowed eyes upon looking at the scar on the back of his hand. He only dare looking back when she was done and letting go of his hand.

"All done. Be careful with it, or you'll reopen the wound."

"Thank you, Miss."

"By the way, that's a real cute handkerchief. Your girlfriend's?"

"N-No! She's just a friend!"

"Oh~ so _there is_ a girl~"

Would this lady kindly leave already? Getting flustered so much in one night couldn't be healthy for his... health!

"What kind of accident gives you such a fancy scar? Did you try to get a tattoo and screwed it up, somehow?"

Shirou thought she sounded a bit too curious, but decided to just not think of it too much. Perhaps she was feeling bad for teasing a boy she just met and wanted to change topic.

"Nah, nothing like that. I actually don't have a clue how this happened. The wound just kinda appeared."

"Hmm, that's strange. Maybe it's an omen? A sign that you're among the sinners..."

A cold shiver ran through Shirou's back. The nice lady suddenly looked like a sinister lady with the way her smile crooked, resembling those smirks worn by villainesses in crime movies. And as quickly as that uneasiness came, she was back to being nice and friendly adult woman he was a little aroused by.

"Oh, well, don't worry about it. It's been nice talking with you, but I don't want to interrupt your work. And I've got some boozes I need to purchase for the boys, so, ta-ta for now, lucky boy~"

He didn't say anything as she said her goodbye and walked away. For one thing, the whole encounter had left him unsure of what to think of her. The other thing, he was too busy being transfixed by the movement of her hips as she sashayed - yes, sashayed, not just simply walked - into the Coppenhagen Bar. She even gave a little wave as she opened the door.

"... what a night."

Shirou decided to have a little restroom break after that.

He had no way of knowing that inside the bar, the woman took a seat beside a curly-haired gentleman in black turtleneck shirt. The two proceeded to have a conversation.

"That boy at the side alley? I think he might be the seventh."

"Really? I feel nothing from him."

"Well, he has the command seals."

"I see. Do you want me to tail him?"

"No. You are essential to this side of the city. Get our pretty princess instead."

"She won't like it."

"Eh, she can file the complain to hers truly later."

"You really do have a death wish, woman."

"Don't we all?"

Later at around nine, as Shirou entered his living room and switched on the light, just about ready to do his regular before-bed-workouts, he witnessed the strangest thing this day could offer. To elaborate, from the morning until the night fell, the day had a strange feeling about it. Like something really big was looming just behind the horizon, ready to show up when he was least expecting it. Maybe that lady was right, the wound on his hand was an omen.

The ringing of chimes from below the floor had been going on ever since he entered his house and saw the stranger. For some reason, it alerted him: danger ahead.

"Your house has quite a well-made barrier, peasant. I expected it'd do more than just screaming at you, though. So, are you an amateur magus or what?"

"..."

The stranger was covered from head to toe in white plate armors. A visored helmet with two portruding horns hid his head. In his right hand, he held an enormous sword.

The sight of it was so surreal, Shirou could only gape and barely able to hear what the... knight have to say.

"Hey, do you even know what you've gotten yourself into? ... I guess not. Tch, I'll get that whore later for making me do this tasteless job..."

"W-What...? W-Who...?"

"Spare me the questions, man. This will end the same, either way. With you dead."

Shirou couldn't understand. He really couldn't. Why was the knight talking like he was about to be killed? For what?

"Yeah, that way is fine. Just stand still like that, so I can end your life quickly."

With the air of a student begrudgingly stand up to go back to class after lunchbreak ends, the knight lifted his sword and put up a stance. The tip of his greatsword pointed directly at Shirou's head.

"... you bastard..."

It dawned on the teen that he was about to be killed. Murdered. Executed. Whatever the problem was - and he truly didn't have the slightest idea - this stranger was ready and willing to take his life. He couldn't even imagine it, to kill other human being. He couldn't fathom what it takes, the burden to your conscience, to be able to do such a thing. Even so, he knew it couldn't be easy. It shouldn't be easy.

Yet, this... this bastard in front of him spoke of it like it wasn't a big deal at all. Like his life didn't even worth consideration.

In the mind filled with confusion and fear, another emotion surged.

Anger. And along with it, a desire to live.

* * *

 **Fate of Black and Crimson**

 _ **\- A Lion in the Wolf's Den -**_

* * *

Shirou ran. He rolled to the side, dove forward, ducked, and threw things over his back when his instinct told him to. It was miraculous that thus far, he only suffered several small cuts to his arms and back. Behind him, following his every step with steel plated boots, was the psychotic tin man. The greatsword was swung around with abandon, cutting and slicing anything in its path. The paper wall, the wooden floor, all the stuff that Shirou could reach and throw at the boogeyman.

Among those things he had thrown were kitchen knives, woks, pans, anything solid he could reach in the frantic moment. None of them could slow his attacker any.

"Who the fuck are you!?" he shouted after another cut was made to his left shoulder, forcing him to stumble forward in pain.

"Not giving up yet, you pathetic peasant!?"

In stark contrast to Shirou's struggles, the murder knight was utterly casual in the way he strut to chase after the boy. He was just playing with him, Shirou realized. Sooner or later he would get bored and decide to just finish what he started. And with blood steadily trickling out of his wounds, Shirou didn't think he could have the necessary time to escape this madness.

"Hah... haa..." and he was getting out of breath too. How far until the back exit? He couldn't exactly see where he was going when the large part of the house was dark.

"There's no escape! Help won't come!"

Shirou cussed under his breath. While he liked his late father's stately, traditional Japanese mansion, now Shirou wished there were more things that would make sounds when hit by sharp steel in the house. He could really use some noise to alert the neighbors.

"Damn... damn... damn... shit!"

A split second was the time he had between hearing the sound of the knight making a leap and the greatsword crushing the floor. He used it to throw himself to the side, through the paper wall and down over the tatami matted floor. He barrel rolled some more, knowing that the chase wasn't over-

"Gah!"

Something hard hit his back with enough force to send him skidding and going through another paper wall. He stopped painfully on the floor of the outer pathway, groaning as his brain registered the pain on his back. His head was dizzy, his limbs almost numb. He couldn't get up, not so soon after receiving that attack. So he crawled. He didn't care where to. All he knew was that he had to move.

"Your persistence is not fun anymore. This is getting boring, peasant. You bore me."

Hearing his executioner's footsteps closing in, Shirou tried to drag himself faster.

"If you'd just stop, I'll end it quickly," said the killer as though it was a merciful offer.

"No...!" he wheezed out an answer. "Not... today..."

"Oh, really?"

The knight's gauntleted hand took a hold of Shirou's right foot, stopping him from moving any further. He was only able to gasp dumbly as he realized he was being lifted off the floor and thrown away like a rag doll. When his back hit the glass window, it gave away and broke, sending him out to the open. It was a surreal moment where time seemed to slow to a crawl - he, sailing the air with countless splinters of glass, the knight standing silently in watching, like a mirrage in the darkness. The ceiling over his head gone in a flash, replaced by a night sky filled with clouds and moonlight.

"Guh!"

The spell was broken when his body hit the ground with painful thud, back first. Broken glasses were caught by and stabbed into his skin as he attempted to move away. He groaned in agony as he forced his body ro roll over. Most of the injuries were over his back, lying down would increase the damage.

"Hey, get up. It's in bad taste to kill a downed man."

"W-what...?"

The knight was already standing by his side, somehow, even though he hadn't heard any sound of his approach. Shirou craned his neck up to look. The armored killer was looking down on his fallen form, the greatsword rested over his shoulder.

"I'm saying, if you want to die like a man, this is your opportunity. Get up and face me and die with dignity."

"... You're not making any fucking sense..."

Nonetheless, Shirou pushed his body up with a grunt. The anger from getting ambushed and thrown around still burned strong, in spite of the pain all over his body and the fear that permeated his heart. Even so, when he went back to his feet and seeing eye to eye against the steel plated maniac, he realized there was no way he could fight this _thing_ and live. For one, he was too injured. He was dizzy and nauseous.

The second factor was, call him crazy but, the foe before him was definitely not human. There was no way a person of such a stature - the tinhead was pretty short, now that he had a closer look - would be able to move in that armor, wielding that big sword, and possess enough strength to fling him away with one hand.

"Just... who the fuck are you?"

This time Sir Psychotic was nice enough to answer: "Your death."

Shirou could have believed it, accepting the stupid quip as a fact, but he was too stubborn for that.

"No, I'm your failure."

No warning, no hesitation. He threw the handful of sand he had been holding right in the knight's face. Then he ran. He ignored his foe's angry curse and ran faster. The shed. His destination was his little workshop, where there were things he could use as weapons-

"Gah!"

A strong pressure was put over Shirou's injured shoulder, halting his steps and eliciting a pained scream from his mouth. Before he could react any further, the knight's other hand reached the upper hem of his pants, and unceremoniously lifted the teen's body over his head.

"Oh God..."

Shirou whimpered in horror as he was once again made to see the night sky above. At this position, he was utterly helpless. The knight could just drop him down, letting his back break against steeled boot. That, or he could be tossed and impaled by the sword, or if Baron Brute was feeling brutal enough, by the horns of his helmet. Either way, it'd be agonizing and slow death.

However, the knight was thinking differently.

"You're so keen to die in that shack over there, eh? Well, let me help you with that!"

This time there was no illusion of slow motion. Shirou was launched with such a strength that he barely managed to cover the back of his head with his elbows and curled his back before his body crashed against the door of the shed. The door, unlocked as it always was, forced open with a bang.

Shirou's body hit the cemented floor and rolled over several times before stopping after hitting a small cabinet. New wounds formed, his clothes torn, and his senses were numbed from the impact.

"Hah... ahh..."

Even his agonized moans sounded distant to his own ears. Everything hurt. Any action, no matter how small, was hard to make. Nothing felt real to his touch; the world spun and shifted in and out of focus, the ground swayed like it would collapse at any moment. At the very least, he had to lie down and rest, even if for just a bit.

He knew that, but, not even such a small respite was granted to him. The knight had already stood under the entrance, ready to claim his life for whatever reason.

"No more playing around, peasant. You've chosen to die like a fool, and in this dirty room, too. I'll grant you your wish."

"I... have... no death wish..."

He crawled, pushing his body against the cabinet to sit up. His shoulder and back and his whole body all sent jolts of pain at his movement. Pain was a warning, he had been taught, the mean for the body to tell you to stop and examine yourself.

However, he couldn't stop. He must not stop. Or else, the anger, the desire to survive currently burning under his chest, would disappear. It was the thin line separating desperation from despair, and once it was lost, there was nothing left but to accept the fact that tonight, he'd be killed.

"Not yet... not yet..."

There got to be something he could do, anything he could use to save himself. His hands groped about, trying to grab onto something-

"This is it. Good bye."

"H-Huh..?"

As he was stumbling about, Shirou didn't realize that the knight had closed in. He was now within that greatsword's reach; he was free to be stabbed, cut, or split in half.

He was at a dead end.

"No..."

The knight raised his sword up high.

"...!"

Eyes closed out of instinct, Shirou screamed right as the sword slashed down. All of his anger and desperation burst out with that scream, his last act as a living man.

"Tch!"

Nothing happened. Not to him, at least. He heard sounds of footsteps coming and retreating and the sound of something moving in the air. And then silence.

Emiya Shirou was still alive.

Confused and hesitant, he opened his eyes.

The sight that greeted him had his mind gone blank in that instance. A girl he didn't recognize was standing between him and the open door, holding a medium-length katana.

"This humble Assassin has come in answer of your summon," said the girl.

Who was she? When and where did she come from? Where was the knight who tried to kill him? A more analytical part of Shirou's mind demanded answers, but the rest of it couldn't even begin to care. Taking in the sight in front of him was the foremost priority.

Under the moonlight, her appearance was ethereal. The green-blue haori, the black shawl. A youthful beauty dressed like a swordsman from long forgotten era. The sword in her hand gleamed brilliantly, substracting nothing of her mesmerizing figure.

"Are you my Master?" she asked.

"... Huh? Master...?"

Like nearly everything else that had happened to him today, Shirou couldn't make any sense of her question. He stared ahead dumbly; towards her, to the moonlit sky behind her, and found that his mind only drew blank.

"May I check on your condition?"

The girl went to crouching position in front of him, her eyes lowered in what he absently thought was a sign of respect.

"Uh... okay...?"

"Pardon me."

She reached his left hand and undid the cloth covering it. Shirou felt a hot, shearing pain on the wound, which was glowing red. Red tattoos forming an abstract but oddly symmetrical patterns. He blinked. What the hell?

"This confirms it. I am your Servant."

"Servant...?"

The girl frowned for a moment before she put his hand to his chest.

"I guess the Grail chose you without your knowledge. I'm sorry, Master. I'd like to inform you of everything that you doubtlessly want an explanation of, but we're short on time."

Saying so, she glanced out at the yard outside. Shirou, following her line of sight, immediately realized what she meant.

"Is he still here?"

She nodded. "He is. However, please do not worry. You shall be fine. I shall take care of the enemy Servant. You have a rest, Master."

"Wait, what do you mean? What... what are you gonna do? Guh-"

He tried to reach out to the girl, who was getting to her feet and about to turn around, but the pain on his back stopped him. She, in turn, lowered her upper body and cupped his face with her hands. Shirou felt his heart throbbing upon receiving her touch. He had made skin contact with girls before, but never like this. He couldn't help himself from flustering, but unable to broke away from her eyes, which were looking at him intently. It reminded him somewhat of Fuji-Nee in her younger days, and it allowed his frantic mind to settle down if only for a bit.

The girl said, "You are injured, Master. It will only aggravate your wounds if you move, so please stay here. Don't worry about me, I'll be back to you in a moment."

He didn't try stop her when she got up and headed out of the shed, leaving him alone. His hand reached to his cheek, where the girl had put her hands on. The warmth of her touch still lingered, reminding him that all this unbelievable events, these bizarre people he had encountered one after another, they were all real.

And he still absolutely have no idea of what he had gotten himself into.

 _"No... that's beside the point. What really matters is how we get out of this mess."_

Shirou took a deep breath, regulating his heartbeats and the rushing of adrenaline. Keep calm, cool it. His back was injured pretty badly, his right arm couldn't be moved properly thanks to the slash wound on the shoulder, and his head still spinning. Right now, there was nothing more he could have wanted other than get his body treated and a good night's rest.

"..."

Outside, he heard loud clanging noises. Metal against metal. He gritted his jaw. The girl, completely unarmored, was fighting the knight - that was the only possible explanation for the noises.

"Got to help her..."

He couldn't possibly leave her to fight all by herself. The thought that she was risking her life to fend off his would-be-murderer was too sickening for his conscience to bear. Unforgivable.

Grunting and grimacing as he braved his aching body, Shirou forced himself to get to his feet. His stomach lurched the moment he tried to stand without support, but he pressed on. He went further in to the shed and looked around for weapons. There was a rusty iron pipe, a baseball bat, a wooden sword, and...

"This is..."

His hand hesitantly reached a thick wooden box. There was an old firearm sitting in it. A heavily customized, single shot handgun weighing around two kilos and ten big caliber bullets to go with it. He never knew who used to own the gun, and he doubted it belonged to his old man. Shirou had found it by chance about a year ago, hidden under the floor of the shed. Out of curiosity and admittedly a childish impulse to keep something awesome a personal secret, he had taken care of that gun, and learned how to use it. Of course, he had never actually shot anything with it.

The sounds of fighting from the yard continued, however, and Shirou briefly wondered if the bullet could pierce through plate armor.

 _Wait_. What the _fuck_ was he thinking?

"No! Nope!"

He quickly shook off the thought and went to grab the wooden sword instead. Shooting down anyone was not okay. Not at all. It was crazy for him to even think about it. It must be his fatigue and desperation overtaking his mind.

Shirou staggered over to the doorway, wooden sword in hand. He was thinking of overwhelming the knight two against one, inflicting several good hit to incapacitate, then after it was over, he'd call the police. There was no concrete tactic, he only knew he had a weapon now and that it would help evening the odds somehow.

As soon as he stepped out of his shed and saw the battle that was taking place in his backyard, all that resolution vanished without a trace.

It was out of this world, the battle. Too fast, too overwhelming to his senses and logic.

The girl in blue haori who had saved his life was a blur as she dashed in and out of the knight's range, rapidly striking and slashing at the armored foe with her katana. One moment she was slashing from the front, then in a blink of an eye she was behind the knight, striking for the head. That failed, she retreated several steps in a flash, then came in again from yet another angle. She gave her foe no chance to conterattack, nor any room to breath.

On the other hand, the knight was like a statue of metal that just wouldn't go down. Against the girl's overwhelming speed, he brought his heavy sword, his gauntlet, every part of his armor just in time to block the relentless attacks. Sparks flew as the curved blade kissed the plate of metal, but before he could make a counter attack or even have a good look at his opponent, another attack stroke from another position, forcing his other hand to move lest his head got pierced. Yet again, he slapped the blade away.

One was too quick to be human, the other was too tough to be human.

It was a battle out of fantasy, as every stroke made the air boom and ripple and every footstep made the ground explode into dust and dirt.

Emiya Shirou was rooted on the spot he was standing as his feet, his whole body, trembled in awe. It was like watching a thunderstorm from vantage point, a clash of nature that simply took you in whether you like it or not.

There was nothing he could do but watch.

* * *

It may look like she was furiously relentless from anyone watching the battle, but Assassin always measured his opponent's prowess and calculated her own moves as the fight raged on. Every time she left the knight's range of attack she took a quick breather before performing another shukuchi, skipping right into her opponent's blindspot, and performing a strike. Her count had reached twenty seven strikes. Twenty seven times her Kiyomitsu katana were repelled, either with the armor or the greatsword.

 _Sabers are the strongest Servants. Now I believe it.  
_

She huffed. Not even a single cut had been made, and Assassin's stamina was nearing its limit. Several more shukuchi might even trigger her sickness, and it was definitely a very bad thing she had to avoid.

"Damn you...!" Saber growled. The difficulty to dish out good hit on her part must be just as vexing, if not more so.

Assassin retreated to have another quick break, this time taking three intakes of air. Saber took the moment to strike at her, but it was easily avoided. The greatsword blew a crater on the ground as she sidestepped out of its way. She threw a sideway slash toward Saber's temple, but it was blocked yet again with the back of her mailed fist. Had the strike been performed with more strength, the katana would have taken a damage - chipped blade, or broken handle.

As it was, Assassin immediately backpedaled the moment the metals touched, letting the blade slide safely away from any damaging impact, and leaving behind sparks and scratch. Saber's immediate counter slash only hit the air where her torso had been, then she retreated several steps further.

"Fight me properly, coward!" shouted Saber.

"But I _am_ fighting," she replied simply, which only seemed to agitate Saber even more. Good. _Let the rage blind you. Give me an opening._

From their exchanges so far, Assassin could assess that Saber was a swordfighter with natural talent and highly keen instinct, though hadn't had enough training and experience to utilize them fully. Her swings, while fast and powerful, were wild and wide. And that massive sword, as impressive as Saber was to be able to wield it like it was practical to do so, was not a weapon designed for battle. One must either be stupid or conceited to not pick a simpler, less decorated sword in favor of that fancy big slab of iron.

Yet, somehow, Saber was neither of those two. She was full of anger, but still calm enough to not let it interfere with her action; prideful, but not too overconfident. That armor, in addition to that uncanny intuition, gave her impregnable defense against her speed. Such a frustrating opponent.

"Don't you think I don't notice it, Assassin. You didn't try to break through my defense even once. The moment your blade meets my armor or sword, you pull away. If you really fancy yourself a swordsman, then act like one!"

Assassin wanted to roll her eyes. Saber certainly had such a convoluted way of thinking. Their swordsmanships were of fundamentally different styles, it should be obvious after trading blows for a while. Saber's was all about hacking and slashing and overpowering, while hers was about looking to finish the fight with one quick fatal blow and minimizing wasted efforts as much as possible. Simply put, there was no way Assassin would lock her sword against Saber's in a contest of strength - she would, without a doubt, lose.

While Assassin was not above enjoying a good fight, she much prefer a victorious one.

"I'm sorry, but it is what it is. This is not a contest of strength or skill. We're just two Servants trying to kill each other. Of course, if you're unsatisfied with me, you're more than welcome to leave."

"Oh, is that so? Heh, fine. If it's a real killing that you want, then I'll get real serious too!"

Declaring as such, magical energy burst out of Saber's body, creating crackles of blood red lightning in the air around her. If wind was a way of air to express their fear silently, then this time the air was screaming. Assassin narrowed her eyes as she renewed her stance. There was a tinge of heaviness creeping into her chest, and she recognized it as fear.

 _Of course_ , she thought. There was no shame in fearing this opponent. Never in her past life had Assassin fought an enemy with true mythical strength. In this case, fear was good. Fear made her alert.

"Let's go!" Saber roared. And she flashed forward.

Assassin darted backward to avoid the thunder beast lunging at her. Saber's sword missed her, and it carved a big crater on the ground where she had stood on. Red lightnings crackled to live, however, and Assassin had to retreated five more steps to avoided them. Watching her foe as she did so, Assassin clicked her tongue. Red lightnings had formed a barrier around Saber's body. She couldn't get close without getting herself hurt in the process.

"Do these sparks scare you, Assassin!?" mocked the armored knight as she put her sword above her right shoulder. Her standard arrogant pose, it seemed.

Assassin didn't reply to Saber's provocation. Instead, she used the small respite to have a quick once over at her surroundings. Her earlier manuver had pushed her back to about ten steps away from the small warehouse she had been summoned in. Her Master was standing by the door, looking just as the same as when she had found him: completely bewildered and confused.

"H-Hey! Are you all right!? That guy just shot you with lightning!"

Saber was not a guy, Assassin wanted to correct her Master, but there was more pressing matter at hand.

"Master! If you can move, you have to get out of here right now!"

"Get out-? But where? And what about you?"

"I have to stall her until you get to safety!"

"That's crazy!"

"Damn, she's coming..."

As Assassin said, Saber strutted towards the two with red sparks escorting her every move. Her mouth had formed a savage grin since the moment she saw that Assassin's Master was up and about.

"Yo, you're back on your feet, eh, peasant?"

Assassin's eyebrows rose. "Peasant?"

"That puny Master of yours, I mean."

"You are a girl!?" the puny peasant of a Master in question gawked in disbelief.

"Who the hell is a girl!? I'm gonna blast you!"

 _My chance...!_

As Saber angrily waved her sword, Assassin used the momentary distraction to attack. Skipping ahead, she launched a downward straight thrust, seeking to pierce Saber's chest. It was not her most powerful attack, but it was the best one she could perform in the current situation and within such a short timing. After hitting Saber's armor for dozens of time, she was sure the blade would through. She put more strength behind the attack, the blade of Kiyomitsu a silver streak as it moved. Saber noticed her from the corner of her eyes, but it was too late.

Hirazuki was the name of the technique. A deceptively simple, quick move devised by Hijikata Toshizou. Belying the shape of a Japanese sword which was meant to slash in an arc, the thrust utilized force produced by the twisting of one's back and feet. A vicious cross punch performed with a sword.

"Gah...!"

Blood was drawn. Konjiki Kiyomitsu penetrated the armor and cut into flesh.

However, it was Assassin who had her eyes widened as her momentum was completely halted. The knight had twisted her body in the last moment, replacing the spot where the blade should land from chest to shoulder. Then, guided by the sensation, Saber caught it.

"Got you!"

Only instinct saved Assassin's life, as she immediately took off to the side with full speed. She left trail of dust behind her as she slid to a stop about seven steps away from her foe, who was now holding her katana by the blade.

"Now you're dead," said Saber before her eyes shifted to Assassin's Master. "You don't mind if I kill your Servant first, do you?"

Without waiting for his reply, Kiyomitsu was pulled and thrown away. Blood gushed out from Saber's right shoulder and left hand, but it didn't seem to bother her in the slightest. She let the blood trickle down over the blade of her greatsword, and, as though incited by the taste of it, the lightnings around Saber flashed redder and more intense.

"... This is bad."

The hair all over Assassin's body tingled from alert as the atmosphere was charged with energy, gradually turning the yard into a massive electric field. Sooner or later, there wouldn't be any spot left for her and her Master to escape.

"Die!"

Saber lunged with an overhead strike, the greatsword coming down alongside a blinding red lightning.

"Guh-!"

Assassin managed to avoid the devastating blow with a quick jump, but not the aftermath. Electric shock ran up her crossed arms which she used to protect her head, and the impact broke the ground she landed on. She caught herself from tripping just in time to see Saber launching an upward slash from below waist. The air cried with a crackle of electrical discharge as the sword cut it along with the tip of Assassin's sleeve.

Red lightning burned some part of her clothes, and the air itself stung her skin with numbing shocks and burning sensation, but Assassin pressed on with the gamble she had just come up with.

"What the-!"

Saber sounded surprised, and it was quite satisfying to hear. This time Assassin slipped into her right side instead of rushing away. The swordless swordswoman's hand caught the grip of the thunder knight's sword, while the other she used to strike the injured shoulder of its wielder. Saber reeled back from the sudden pain, inevitably leaving Assassin out of her line of sight. The samurai didn't let the chance go to waste and jumped forward with all of her might.

There was a muted crack when Assassin's head collided with Saber's nose.

Muted, because right at that moment, Saber's body exploded with a blaze of red.

"Gu-Aaaahh!"

A scream of agony escaped Assassin as she was flung away. A hot, numbing agony. It was as if every cells inside her body were spontaneously parched and evaporated. Her vision pitch black as her back hit and skidded against the ground.

That burst of electrified prana should be more than enough to kill any human without high level of magical protection and should be sufficient to incapacitate Servants with low ranked endurance and magic resistance such as Assassin.

"You bitch... how did you survive that!?" Saber said, holding her broken and bleeding nose. "And give me back my sword!"

The answer to the first question was something she'd rather not explain, while the second one was an easy no. Assassin rose carefully until she was sat on one knee. She gave a look at the great western sword she had snatched with her. She had clung to it since she caught Saber off guard earlier. It was heavy and too large for her hands. There was no way she could use it, but at least, now both Saber and her were unarmed.

"Shall we call this a draw?" she asked, fully expecting refusal.

"Hell no. Either I win or I die. That's how this fight is gonna end."

So she said, but Saber didn't seem as fit as when the fight started. Her breathing was ragged, and her posture no longer straight. The amount of prana she released earlier was enough to charge Assassin's strongest attack for ten times over or more. Forcing it out at once, no matter how strong she was, was bound to exhaust her stamina. Not to mention, her injured shoulder seemed to worsen as she seemed to struggle to move the arm.

"Damn that woman and her prana capacity..."

Frustration was evident from Saber's spiteful mutter, though there was nothing to suggest she'd given up anytime soon. Assassin sighed. She reached the hem of her haori to take it off. The blue coat of arms, the pride of her pack, was tattered and singed badly. The blessing of protection granted by the garment had all but vanished, devoured by Saber's prana burst. She let the coat dissipate into the air and leave her upper arms bare.

"Very well, then. Let's continue."

"All right...!"

As Saber raised her steely fists, Assassin sent a silent look at her Master. The boy was leaning against the doorframe of the warehouse, still working on understanding what was happening in front of him. Poor guy. She wished she could have a sit with him and explained everything he need to know. However, against Saber, she wasn't sure if she would even make it through the night. And if she perished in this very first battle, he too would die.

A fight she wasn't certain to win though she must.

"I'm sorry, Master. And we haven't even gotten to know each other yet..."

Assassin put up the palms of her hands in front of her chest in a standard judo stance. It was kind of silly now that she thought about it, being in a situation where she was about to engage in a hand-to-hand combat against a western knight far stronger that herself. How could she circumvent this massive disadvantage? Kiyomitsu was right by the wall of the yard, too far out of her reach. The moment she had her sword back, Saber would have recovered hers and shot her with lightning.

Couldn't this fight be a little less complicated affair?

"Guh!"

She coughed. A jolt from under her breast and a severe clenching pain rapidly rose up to the back of her throat.

Assassin couldn't help but chuckle at the taste of her own blood.

* * *

He should have known it. Or perhaps he already had, but didn't realize how much of a coward he actually was, and so he was frozen.

When the knight released that burst of lightning, no, even before that, he should have moved.

When the two combatants stood to start a fistfight, he should have done something to help his savior. Anything to even up the odds.

"Damn it... what the hell?"

Said savior, the samurai girl, was being pummeled. Her attempts to intercept the knight's blows were easily thwarted by the latter's brute force, while her own hits were ineffective. Shirou recognized judo moves when he saw them, but against the armored girl's brutal single-handed boxing style, it was like trying to brace typhoon with an umbrella. The metal gauntlet had landed several blows to the samurai girl's body. Nothing vital, but she was about to go down pretty soon.

The insane speed and flashy maneuvers they had both displayed earlier in the fight had all but disappear, so Shirou could see what was going on with his eyes. And yet, for the life of his, he couldn't find any opening to jump in to the fray. It was the mindset of a man who had lived his whole life in normalcy that gave him pause every time, and he couldn't hate himself more for it even if he tried.

The samurai girl managed to catch the knight's upper right arm when the latter's blow missed her torso. The two struggled in a lock. The less protected of the two tried to put down the one in heavy armor who did her best to turn it around.

Shirou tightened his grip around the wooden sword in his hand.

What he was seeing right now was two people trying to kill each other. More precisely, two inhumane young girls trying to beat each other to death. The baser side of his mind knew that the moment he stepped within the ring those two had unconsciously created during the heat of their match, he would be caught by stray blow and die.

But what about that girl? Wasn't she risking her life to let him live more? What was that she had said? That she was his... Servant?

Eventually, the contest of strength and endurance ended as expected. The knight managed to swivel around with a loud cry, and the girl, still clinging to her arm was slammed down hard on to the ground.

Blood was spluttered from her mouth and landed on the blonde's face.

"Aaaargh! Die! Just die already!" the knight roared.

Shirou's blood ran cold. The knight now tried to choke the girl. The girl, his Servant, was straining her hands to keep the steel claws from her neck.

 _Move!_

"Die...! Die!"

His Servant had little strength left. The gauntleted hands were closing in, ready to crush her windpipe.

 _Move, damn it!_

"Master...!" the girl cried. "Run...!"

For a split second, an image of inferno flashed behind Shirou's mind. Within the raging fire, people were crying for help.

And he had done nothing.

"AAAAAAHHHH!"

Emiya Shirou cried as he ran. He brought the wooden sword up and when he was near the two struggling warrior...

"Huh?"

... he broke the stick against the back of the blonde knight's head.

* * *

Right at that moment, as the shattering of wood interrupted the fight.

Time seemed to stop for the three of them.

Shirou was frozen in place, it dawned on him that he was completely, hilariously, screwed.

Saber widened her eyes at the light tap to the back of her head.

Assassin noticed that the pressure from the hands reaching down her neck had lessened.

And within that split second of silence, one of the three made the final, decisive move.

The broken piece of Shirou's wooden sword went over the air and entered Assassin's narrowed field of view.

Driven by intuition alone, the swordswoman snatched it and jammed it into Saber's left eye.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE**

 **This chapter was a bitch to write, mainly because I just can't get satisfied with it. Especially the fight scenes. I've rewritten the whole darn thing for like three times (thanks, site maintenance) and even now, I'm not entirely sure. But hey, that's where you come in. Tell me if I did anything right and please, please be kind to point out what I've done wrong.**

 **Anyway, here's the once-over for this chapter:**

 **\- Servants rarely, if not ever, get disarmed in canonical media. This brings up a question about their weapon/NP. If a Servant lose their weapon, can they get it back just by dematerializing it, then making it reappear in their hands? Even if the answer is yes, I choose to not make it that convenient in this, because that'd make designing a fight too troublesome.**

 **\- Maybe you've noticed that I've changed the character billing and replaced that clunky-ass summary with the current one. Okita Souji is the big draw to this story, I've come to realize. Hence, her role got expanded and now she's more important that Gudako was. Ain't that just DAISHOURI?  
**

 **\- I've decided to play fast and loose with Okita-san's skills and abilities, because I've never actually seen any other depiction of her other than in the fgo game and gudaguda works. References to the canon and history are a given, but don't expect me to perfectly match them in the story. Her personality, though, is one of the things I'm really trying to stay faithful with.**

 **\- Have you noticed the breadcrumbs, the clues, of how this Shirou is a different person than the canon? Namely, he is a hornier teenage boy here. But to be fair, canon Shirou didn't actually interact with friendly, sexually alluring adult women that much. Taiga is Taiga, Saber is eternally prepubescent, Caster is an evil creep, and Rider doesn't get along with him until after he's completely devoted to Sakura. So, meh.  
**

 **\- That woman in the beginning was... eh, I'll just let you guess this time. The first one to get it right can have one line of dialogue be said by any character of his/her choosing in a future update.**

 **\- Seriously, to Fou or not to Fou, that is the question.  
**

 **See you next chapter!  
**

* * *

 _\- Lion in the Wolf's Den: The Aftermath -_

It took one second for Saber to discern what had happened, and another second to feel the pain. By then she had screamed and bolted away from Assassin's downed form, her hand hovering around her right eye. A little touch to the wood stuck in her eye socket caused it to shift a little inside her head, and she screamed even louder at the sensation.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck you! Fuck you all to hell!"

The two people she was cursing were watching her every move with wary eyes. Shirou knelt by Assassin's side and helped her to sit. Once seated, though, the samurai Servant had a fit of coughs and spat out a glob of blood.

"Hah... ah..."

"A-Are you okay-?"

A stupid question, but Assassin nodded nonetheless. Dizzy, she leaned against her Master's chest and tried to regulate her breathing. She had to recover quickly, gathering enough strength to face Saber again. After all she had done to the knight class Servant, merely taking an eye didn't seem enough to get both her and her Master out of trouble yet.

Indeed, Saber was already getting to her feet. It was an arduous process for her to stand straight. Her right arm hung limply and her balance was off. No matter how you looked at it, she was in no condition to fight anymore. However, the second her remaining left eye find the cause of her injuries, she snarled like a beast. There was no stopping her from ripping Assassin and her Master to pieces, even if she had to die for it.

"Is she a monster or what...?" said Shirou. With his left arm, he pulled Assassin closer to his body while his right hand brought up his broken wooden sword in protective manner. He winced when that action sent a wave of sharp pain from his back and shoulder. It must have widened the wound.

"Master, give it to me, and help me up," said Assassin as she reached for her Master's hand. "I'll fend her off."

"No way. You just retched blood."

"You're just an injured, normal human. You don't have a chance against her, no matter how bad she looks right now."

"Both of you are going to die!"

Saber walked towards the two, wobbling about all the while. Assassin pushed her body up using her Master's uninjured shoulder for purchase. Shirou was stuck between being scared by Saber's advance and trying to stop Assassin from getting up.

The exhausting battle between the knight and the killer was about to come to an end.

Though not in the way either of them expected.

"...!"

"...!?"

The two Servants whipped their heads to the same direction, fully alerted by a rapidly closing presence of another of their kind. A black shadow appeared atop the roof, then jumped down to land right between the feuding Servants.

Assassin caught a pair of garnet-colored eyes under a black hood glancing between her and Saber, then as quick as it came, the black shadow rushed toward the armored knight. A long plaited hair trailed behind the newly arriving Servant, a snake slithering in the night air. Alongside the Servant was a tall scythe with massive blade, a venomous fang ready to bite the wounded lioness.

"Shit!"

Saber was forced to step back lest the blade of the scythe lop her head off. The wicked, curved blade drew a path in the air as it circled back around the black Servant's lithe body and came down on her like hammer. Saber evaded it to the right. The Servant had anticipated that, however. Using the pole of her weapon as a clutch, the Servant vaulted over to send a roundhouse kick right to her gut.

"Kuh-!"

Bare foot met armor, and Saber was sent flying before she landed on her back. The attack winded her and worsened the pain her wounds gave, but the Servant in black was merciless and not giving her any chance. The reaper flew down on her scythe first, about to claim her life with one swift stroke...

"...!"

... only to stab empty ground. Right before the blade hit, a flash of red light ate away the entirety of Saber's body.

One command seal had been used, Assassin deduced. Her Master and she were safe from the monster's menace.

"Now what...?" Shirou wondered aloud, completely lost by the sudden arrival of the new player.

The black Servant yanked her scythe off the ground, twirled it once, then held it right by her side. She stared at both Shirou and Assassin, causing the former to take a step back in alert though no sign of hostility could be detected by the latter.

"Who are you?" asked Assassin.

"I'm Lancer," the small Servant replied with child-like voice. No, Assassin corrected herself, she _was_ a child.

"Why are you here?" Assassin asked again when Lancer didn't seem willing to elaborate more. The answer was astonishing enough to make Shirou and Assassin exchanged an equally confused look.

"My Master ordered me to protect Emiya-senpai from harm," Lancer said.

* * *

On the next "Fate of Black and Crimson"

\- Chapter Three: _Caught in the Eagle's Claw_ - **  
**


	4. Caught in the Eagle's Claw

****I'll be damned. I met an old man named Mash at work. "It's a Hebrew name, son!" he said, cackling when I unwittingly gave him a funny look. Not gonna change anything, though. We're still going with Mashu.  
****

 **Disclaimer: Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Apocrypha, Fate/Grand Order, and Fate/Prototype belong to Type-Moon and affiliated companies. And no, this is not an April's Fool joke update. I don't do that.  
**

* * *

On their way to Emiya residence, Ruler was left behind, but Sakura couldn't bring herself to wait for her new blond-haired acquaintance to catch up. Emiya-senpai's safety was the more pressing matter.

Slipping easily through the boundary field, she unlocked the front door, went in, and gasped.

The house looked like it had had a hurricane blowing inside. Paper walls were shredded, floor full of cuts and holes, furnitures broken, and pieces of household items littered the place like no tomorrow. Lancer had confirmed that he was okay, but Sakura couldn't help her increasingly frantic footsteps as she went deeper into the house, and she nearly fainted when she saw what her Emiya-senpai looked like as he attempted to climb back into the house from the backyard through broken glass wall window. His clothes were in tatters, and the man himself was pale, unsteady, and bloody.

And there was a strange woman in white sleeveless kimono holding his side to help him walking. A Servant.

His Servant.

"Hey, Sakura," said Emiya-senpai, sounding casual despite the clear surprise and shock on his face. "I thought you can't come for a few days."

"Oh, God..." she rushed to him but hesitated to touch anything. "Senpai, this is terrible..."

"I'm fine, it's all -ouch, all right. The other guy is even worse off."

"The other guy...?"

"Saber. We chased her out," said the Servant, a toothy grin on her bruised and battered face. "Or rather, Lancer did after we roughed her up. You are Lancer's Master, aren't you? You have our thanks."

"Oh? Uh, yes. Sure."

Nodding, the Servant continued on her effort to get Shirou up to the porch.

"What was that? Sakura is a Master, too?"

"Save your questions for the morrow, Master. Come on, you can do it. One step at a time..."

"I told you, I'm fine. You don't have to- whoa!"

Either his legs too weak to hold his upper body or his head was as disoriented as the color of his face suggested, Shirou failed to take the last step before the climb and wobbled, nearly falling. Yelping, Sakura moved to help, but she shouldn't have. The Servant (what was she? Saber and Archer were ruled out, so a Rider, perhaps?) easily uprigthed his body as it slid off her. Shirou held out the palm of his hand towards her, shaking his head.

"I think you don't want to see this, Sakura. My shoulder is cut pretty badly, it might sicken you."

"But..."

"Please move aside, Sakura-dono. My Master need to rest inside."

Against the Servant's intervention, Sakura could only step back to let the two of them pass. Emiya-senpai hissed in pain as he climbed to the porch. As they went in to the house, Sakura could see the worst of his injury plainly. A large red gash over his shoulder, blood seeping out through his clothes. She gulped, a chill sensation pooling in her stomach as a grim thought crept into her mind.

This was what it meant to fight in the Holy Grail War. You got hurt, you got injured physically and mentally. She wondered about what was going to happen now. Would Senpai actually fight? She wished he wouldn't. He should just give up the command seals and return to the normal days. But knowing him... once he knew what he had gotten himself into, Sakura doubted he'd just quit like that. He'd want to look after everyone.

And if it continued, the war might pit them against one another one day.

 _"Sakura."_

Lancer's voice broke her out of the troubling thoughts. The petite grim reaper had materialized by her side, looking at her with impassive expression.

"Ah, Lancer. Good work."

"You look upset," said Lancer after nodding at the praise.

"No, it's nothing. I'm just sad to see Senpai got hurt so badly."

Lancer's eyes wandered to the large hole in the paper wall Senpai and his Servant had just passed through.

"He tried to protect Assassin," she said. "Even though he had no chance against Saber."

"Senpai's Servant is of Assassin class?"

Lancer nodded. Sakura took a deep breath. That was just so like him, to risk his life for a stranger he just met in the night. And it was just so cruel of the grail to give him a Servant so weak he felt the need to help her in a fight, though she supposed it couldn't be helped. Senpai wasn't a magus, there was very little to no chance a strong one would come for him.

Thinking about that, her next course of action was obvious.

She would protect him, no matter what path he'd choose.

* * *

 **Fate of Black and Crimson**

 **- _Caught in the Eagle's Claw_ -**

* * *

It was pretty safe to conclude that the elders of Fuyuki were not going to start disappearing for the time being.

The reason being that so far there was no obvious similarity between the missing people other than their age, and the fact that they had been last seen in Shinto. The thirteen individuals recorded as missing by the authority plus another eight as investigated by the Church, were all ranging from age sixteen to twenty five. They were gone mostly in the busy, neon-lit districts which old people rarely visit.

That was why Tohsaka Rin sat crosslegged on the rooftop of a thirty-stories building, sharing perception with her Servant, Archer, who watched over the bustling city at night from the edge. She looked for anything suspicious. People acting restless, misplaced objects in the crowds, but so far, there hadn't been anything like that. Should she move away to a different spot? There wasn't any guarantee that somebody out there wasn't being snatched away while she was sitting up here like an idiot.

 _Another fifteen minutes maybe._

After all, she had chosen this particular spot of the town for a reason: it had been relatively untouched by the incidents, which was odd. Assuming the perpetrator really was a magus - and Rin was sure they were, and taking in the fact that they had spread their net widely, it was reasonable to deduce that they were looking for a particular kind of prey. Someone whose foot would fit into the glass shoe, so to say. The fact that the case just continued to pile up meant either they hadn't found their Cinderella, or there weren't enough catches for whatever it was they were after.

As for what they were trying to do by abducting townspeople, Rin could only think up one thing in consideration of the Holy Grail War currently taking place.

The victims were being used as a Servant's prana stock. Youthful souls for feeding. Batteries to keep the fighting machine run well.

 _Tsk_. Now she felt sick and angry again. Got to go back to surveillance, maybe it'd help.

"Are you all right, Rin?" asked Archer, "you sound restless over there."

"I'm fine. Why don't we check out the westway street for now."

Archer complied, and Rin was once again amazed at the sight she saw through her closed eyes. The view was sharp and clear even though it was night and the observer was only using naked eyes from thirty feet above ground. It was even better than using binocular.

"Servants are all amazing like this, aren't they?"

"Impressed, aren't we?" said Archer. Ugh, did he really have to sound so smug about it?

"This is more impressive than cleaning up the house and brewing a cup of tea, at least. Now I'm sure that you're really an Archer and not a butler."

"Hmph. I, too, have to admit that you're more prepared for this war than I've initially thought. You've already made an alliance and is now scouting your home turf. You're really a full-fledged magus and not a spoiled young lady."

"S-Shut up! More watching, less talking!"

How could someone sound so sincere and infuriating at the same time? She wasn't sure if her current bond with Archer was good enough for a Master and Servant pair, for him to actually act in the way befitting her. Not knowing of his identity was the damning thing. This was their second night together as comrades in war, but she couldn't say with confidence that she could win the war with Archer as her Servant.

Shaking his head, Rin tried to forget that particular problem and refocus on the view down the street, looking for the actual problem. _Eh, wait, what are we looking at, here?_ She, or rather, Archer, was looking at a couple of girls walking together. One was a redhead - kind of like Emiya, while the other one, looking shorter and younger, had curiously lavender-colored hair - kind of like Sakura. The younger girl was carrying a white dog in front of her chest.

 _Huh? What kind of dog is that? Maltese? Never seen it before..._

 _..._

 _... It's cute, though. Look at it so docile in its owner's arms.  
_

The dog's taxonomy aside, looking at those two reminded Rin even more of her two schoolmates, now an ally in the war and a potential adversary, respectively. She wondered how Sakura was doing in the next town, if she encountered an enemy Servant or any other kind of danger. There was Lancer to protect her, but if Rin had to be honest, the Servant's size didn't fully convince her that she'd do the job well enough.

Regarding Emiya... if he were to become a Master, Sakura would definitely do anything to keep him safe, putting his life above honoring the alliance if necessary. Should she take him in as an ally too? But that would be only delaying the inevitable. She and Sakura would clash, and if Emiya were to stand between them...

 _Gaaah! Why is this so freaking complicated...?!_

Meanwhile, the two girls stopped in front of a shop and had a conversation as the dog carried by the younger one barked.

...

 _Wait a minute_. Why were they keeping watch on those two again?

"Uh, Archer? I feel like a stalker here... Is this your hobby or something? Leering at young girls from afar?"

Archer sighed. "The girl carrying the poodle isn't a normal human, Master."

"... What do you mean not a normal human? Er, wait, did _you_ just say poodle?"

"I did. By the way, that poodle isn't exactly normal either."

"... Say what?"

* * *

Ritsuka-senpai's mood had changed for the better, and Mashu was glad for it. When the older girl had learned that she hadn't ever seen an actual city before, there was a flame ignited in her amber eyes. In an instance she had changed from a sulky girl whining and ranting about her superior into an energetic tourist guide. Fou had followed them since they had left the old mansion, and Senpai was all the more happy for it. She had really taken a liking to the creature.

"We're going shopping!" she had declared.

Ritsuka led her with Fou in arms through the crowd along the street of one of Shinto's many shopping districts. The one they visited tonight was particularly focused on fashion as clothes of many types and models were put up over window displays.

Many levels of price tags too.

"Senpai, are you sure we can get enough money to buy any of this?." she whispered. Fou woofed in her arms: "Kyau!"

"Well, I happen to have the right item and happen to know the right place to make a money out of it. Believe in your Senpai, won't you?" said Ritsuka-senpai. When she could only give her the same uncertain look, the older girl relented with a sigh. "Fine, I'll tell you. We're going to a pawnshop at the end of the street."

Mashu tilted her head.

"You already knew where to find that place, Senpai?"

"Yup. Man, aren't I happy to get away from that pissy director for a while. After a whole day spent together with that piece of work in that ghost house, Mashu! A whole day! We need to unwind, girl, we need to have fun!"

"Kyuu! Kyuu! Fou!"

Fou woofed loudly. Maybe Fujimaru Ritsuka's exuberant outburst got to him, or maybe it was the strong shaking the novice Master gave to her shoulders. However, Mashu wasn't distracted. She gave her Senpai a flat stare.

"... Senpai, are you trying to change the subject?"

Ritsuka only winked and hopped back. For a second Mashu thought she'd turn tail and flee until,

"I lived in this city when I was little," she dropped the bomb with cheeky nonchalance.

"Eh!?"

Her Master grinned at her surprised squeak. "Not that we might encounter a little Ritsuka around here these days, year two thousand four is too soon for that kind of plot..." she said as she gave her surroundings a nostalgic look, then her voice softened as she added, "but yeah, I know this spot pretty well."

She supposed it explained Senpai's earlier confidence at navigating her way through town.

"The director didn't know of this?"

"Nope. If she knew, she'd act nicer towards me, wouldn't she? Like she could rely on me, even a little?"

Mashu couldn't deny nor agree to that. It might be also from the shock of getting sent to the past, but ever since the three of them had arrived (or rather, landed) in the year two thousand four Fuyuki City, the Director had been berating Ritsuka-Senpai to no end, snapping at her every remark, harmless or not. Honestly, as much as she sympathized with the woman who had just lost basically everything of her life, Mashu had gotten tired of her antics too.

"Maybe you could try to be a bit nicer to her, Senpai?"

"I did try to be nice, I talk to her like I do to everyone."

"... I think that's the problem. The Director demands, uh... _needs_ more respect."

"I know, she is my boss. I've tried. But after some time, respect becomes something you have to earn, boss or not. She has lost mine. Just start treating us like her subordinates and not her slaves, that's all I ask."

"You should tell her that the next time you talk with her, Senpai."

Ritsuka puffed up her cheeks. "Yeah, sure," she said, sounding unsure.

Mashu was not happy with that answer. Why were they so hard on themselves? Both the director and Ritsuka-Senpai. Maybe other people were like that too, but she couldn't be sure. For her whole life she had only interacted with no more than five people, after all.

"Foouu!" the creature in her arms squirmed, nuzzling against her chest. Could he read her mind or what? She gave the back of his fluffy ear a light stroke. "Yes, Fou. Sorry, it's six," she whispered.

"By the way, Mashu, do you feel like someone is watching us?" said Ritsuka-senpai quietly. They had reached the end of the block and was about to head to a less crowded one. End of the street, where they could actually get clothes with what little money they might be able to procure.

A shiver ran down Mashu's back. "Y-you can do that? Sensing someone's gaze over your back? And you feel one right now? I don't think I can do that if I weren't in my Servant form, so..."

Ritsuka snorted. "Stop it. You're always so serious. Nah, I was just messing with you..."

"Ugh, Senpai!" Mashu said, sulking. "If you keep playing around, I'll-"

She paused. Her complain was cut short since the moment she turned to face Ritsuka-Senpai, the older girl was nowhere to be found.

"... Senpai?" she called. If this was another attempt to tease her...

"Fou! Kyu! Kyuuu!" Fou suddenly barked loudly. Mashu moved about in surprise as the critter struggled to break free from her hold. His attention seemed to be directed to something in particular.

Incidentally, she shifted her eyes to where Fou was looking. Down the empty street to her left, under the incandescent light of a street lamp.

"...!"

Her heart froze at the moment she saw it.

About twenty feet away, Ritsuka-senpai was being held by a man from behind. She was unconscious.

"Follow me."

As soon as he said that, the man sped into a blur and disappeared.

"Fou! Fooouuu!"

The white squirrel-like creature leapt down from her chest and ran towards an alley next to the lamp post the man had previously stood by. It took a moment for Mashu to realize that he was giving a chase, and before she knew it, she sprinted as well. She entered the dark alley with steel boots over her feet and her black armor replacing her clothes. Her vision became clear as day, allowing her to jump over obstacles like trashes and trash cans without slowing down.

She caught the sight of Fou's white form dashing through the maze-like alleys. A turn, then another, further and further away from the people-flooded part of the town. The squirrel was incredibly quick and nimble. And so should the kidnapper, since she hadn't seen even a glimpse of him yet.

"He's got to be a Servant..."

Had she and Ritsuka-Senpai made a mistake? Definitely. Many, in fact. The sight of a big city, bustling with lives, had lulled their guard down. The Holy Grail War with all of its unidentified Servants was still lurking behind the shadow, waiting for the right place and the right moment to break out. And they just gave it that.

"No. It's not the time to dwell on it."

Indeed. This situation demanded the presence and mind of Mashu Kyrielight the Servant, not the timid girl. Right now she was Shielder, and her duty was to correct Mashu's mistake and save her Master. She increased her speed, rounded another corner, and stopped.

"Fou! Fou!"

The as-of-yet unnamed massive shield materialized over her hands the moment she spotted Fou stopping in place as he glowered and barked incessantly at the sky.

Shielder looked up as well, and found herself under the gaze of a dark phantom. Like a lamb beholding the sight of a swooping bird of prey.

"You're quite the unusual Servant, girl. Who are you?"

The man-Servant was floating in the air above the alleyway between two dark buildings. He looked different than when he had grabbed Ritsuka-Senpai minutes ago, now he was more regal, more ancient. Long black cape billowed, hiding the details of leather and bronze armor underneath. A silvery mask covered the entirety of his face, safe for two pitch black holes for eyes. If it wasn't for his curled dark locks, Shielder might have thought this was a different man altogether.

Ritsuka-Senpai was hung limply in his arm, seemingly in deep sleep.

Anger flared within her even as Shielder steeled herself. "Let her go!"

"Fou! Fooou!"

"Answer my question, then I'll put your Master to somewhere safe. And make the... make your pet shut its yapping. It's annoying."

Fou went quiet without any further telling.

"Good boy," said the Servant. "How about you, girl? Are you as good as that... animal?"

The Servant's indifferent tone and lack of obvious gesture indicated nothing; she couldn't read him at all. There was no guarantee that 'put your Master somewhere safe' didn't mean hurling her down to the afterlife. Shielder gritted her teeth. She wanted nothing more than to strike the bastard down and catch her Master as they fell, but all she had was a shield, and not the kind of shield which could be thrown with precision. And even if the shield had any mean to attack from a distance, she didn't know it.

All she could do was wait. Open her eyes, watch closely, and look for opportunity. Do as he demand for now.

"... I am Shielder."

The masked Servant silently looked over her like a hawk before saying, "Never heard of Shielder class before. What can you do with that big wall decoration of yours? Hoping that I would hit my head over it?"

Shielder ignored the insult. Her eyes never left the enemy.

"And what about you? Who are you?"

"I'm Rider," the masked Servant answered. "Now would the mage hiding over there introduce herself as well?"

Against her better judgment, Shielder swiveled around to look back. A heartbeat was all it took for her to realize that she had just averted her eyes off her target, but thankfully, he wasn't bluffing.

A girl in red coat stepped out of the corner Shielder had come out of, both her hands upraised.

"Hello. Sorry to interrupt you guys."

The mage girl sounded casual in her greeting, but her stiff movements and beads of sweat appearing over her face told otherwise. Shielder glanced back and forth between the mage and the Servant, unsure of what was going on. The mage might be Rider's Master, and this confrontation could be some convoluted ruse designed to lower her guard.

"Good evening, young magus. Are these two-"

"Fou!"

"-three with you?" Rider said without missing a beat. The mage in red coat shrugged.

"Nope. I don't know them. I just want to know what you're going to do with them, and why."

"I simply wanted to engage in a conversation with the lady Servant over there. How much have you overheard? Did you catch what class she is in?"

"I did. And like you, I've never heard of any Shielder before."

"Oh? So are we on the same page, here? You want to interrogate them as well."

Shielder put up a stance. Her mind raced to find a way out of this predicament. Even Fou was on alert, as he took several steps back as to be closer to her. She thought that since her body was resistant to magecraft it'd be safe to turn her back against the mage, fully concentrating on taking Ritsuka back from Rider. How to do that, though, was something she still had to figure out.

The mage girl, meanwhile, ran a hand through her long black hair. Her face made a contemplative expression for a moment before replying, "Nah. Of course I'm curious about this strange Shielder Servant, but you're the one who's holding a helpless girl hostage, Mr. Rider. That makes you my primary target tonight."

The masked Servant tilted his head. "Oh?"

"My principle is to not work together with a kidnapper and soul eater."

 _Soul eater?_

"Soul eater?" the Servant repeated what Shielder was thinking.

A small dot entered the corner of Shielder's vision. A movement in the faintly illuminated night sky. Her feet shifted instinctively, knowing that a danger was approaching.

Not for her, though.

"...!"

Two sounds.

A loud swoosh from an object traversing the night sky, and then a thud as it abruptly coming to a stop. The masked Servant simply tilted his head to the side to avoid a speeding arrow aimed to pierce his cranium. As the projectile sailed past him, he took it off the air with his free hand, then crushed it with a clench.

Shielder couldn't help but gape in amazement.

"Not a bad strategy, Master of Archer, but a little too predictable."

The mage girl was smirking, however.

"Nice move, Rider, but we predicted that."

Shielder looked down on instinct as she noticed a blue peeble-sized gem, rolling over the ground and stopping under the airborne Rider.

"Fou! Foou!"

"O luft! wird verschlungen!"

Fou barked in warning as the mage casted her spell. Shielder had a split second to see the gem exuding light before she scooped the creature with one arm and placed her shield before her in a standing position. The timing of that action was impeccable, as the magecraft imbued in the gem, activated with the spell, immediately set off.

"Guh!"

"...!"

A ball of light exploded, washing the darkness of the alley with white.

* * *

Impressive as it was, Tohsaka Rin wasn't trying to brighten up the dark and narrow path. What she actually wanted was to get Rider distracted enough for Archer's arrows to hit him. And she did it. The gem she had secretly thrown when Rider was catching Archer's painfully obvious shot earlier created a sphere of vacuum that pulled all matters around it. A small blackhole-like phenomenon, not enough to actually harm the Servants around it, but managed to draw a large amount of air in an instant.

Shielder stood unaffected, looking comically tense as she tried to hid herself and her dog behind that huge cross shield. Rider, in contrast, stumbled comically in the air. Rin smiled in satisfaction. As she had guessed, Rider wasn't actually capable of flying, his feet were just, for whatever reason, able to step on air like it was solid matter. Transmuting the air into a makeshift whirlwind was practically collapsing the 'floor' he stood on.

"Ugh, damn...!" the masked Servant cursed as his feet flailed about to find purchase. Meanwhile, over half a kilometer away, Archer had let loose another arrow.

Rider kicked at nothing, but the action still sprung him away from the arrow's path. His feet landed on ninety degree angle on the nearest wall, and they glued him there like a spider. The girl in his arm, however, did not have the ability. She slid off his hold and fell when another arrow nicked Rider's arm.

 _Oh, shit_. While she did want to get that girl away from the creeper, freefall hadn't been what Rin had in mind. She quickly brought up her hand as her magic circuit was activated and ran with a single command.

"Anfang!"

"Senpai!"

Rin stopped short of chanting a gravity-defying spell when Shielder jumped to catch her fallen Master. The black-armored Servant had thrown her shield down to the floor as she made a leap, caught the redhead with her body, held her in one arm, then let their combined weight take care of the rest. Rin winced as the shield, followed by Shielder herself and the girl, crashed against the solid ground with loud thumps.

"Are you guys all right!?" she yelled as she ran to the girls. From the opposite side, the white dog also ran to its owners, barking with a strange flute-like noises as it got close.

"Senpai? Are you okay?" said Shielder as she tugged on her Master's back. "Please wake up!"

"Let me check on her," Rin said, kneeling down next to her, pulling the redhead off the Servant and laying her down to her back. The fellow Master groaned, her consciousness seemed to return to her. Beside Rin, Shielder huffed in relief, and the dog stopped barking.

"Whoa, she really looks like Emiya..." Rin found herself whispering as the girl opened her eyes slowly, revealing a pair of amber eyes.

"... Huh? Tohsaka Rin...?" the Emiya look-alike mumbled. Rin's mouth dropped open dumbly. _Did this girl just call me with my name?_

"... what?"

Rin turned to Shielder, but the skimpily armored Servant looked just as confused. Even the white dog seemed just as puzzled, tilting its head as it made a cute "Kyu?" sound.

A clatter of arrow hitting the ground interrupted the awkward silence.

 _"Rider has escaped, Master,"_ Archer informed her. _"I can get a clear shot on Servant Shielder and her Master right now."_

 _"No,"_ she said through their linked minds. _"I want to ask them some questions."_

Such as how and why there was a class 'Shielder' which she had heard nothing about.

And who were these two girls, where did they come from, and why the redheaded one looked so similar to Emiya _and_ knew her name.

Also lastly and more importantly, just what the hell was that fluffy white critter and if it was possible to find another one of those for her... research.

 _Mainly_ for research. Definitely for research.

* * *

Meanwhile, everything was a mess with a certain person.

The situation, the people she had to deal with, the state of the godforsaken place she had to live in. Nothing was up to her standard and that put Olga Marie Animusphere close to breaking point. The communicator didn't or couldn't work, and her latest attempt to reach out to Chaldea with magecraft hadn't shown any desirable result - same with the ones she had tried before.

"Amplifying it with runes didn't work either. Or maybe it did. It did reach but... nobody was around? No, they can't be all dead. Lev… Lev should be able to protect himself, getting to safety, at least… this isn't over… not over… not yet…"

The director of Chaldea paced around the derelict room, ran her hands through her disarrayed hair as she repeated the words over and over. They were the closest to ideal outcome that she could think of: that someone in Chaldea – preferably her mentor, Professor Lev Lainur – would contact her and pull her out of this highly unfortunate predicament.

On one hand, the first rayshift had been a success despite the dire circumstances surrounding it. On the other hand, the subjects who got sent were completely unprepared. No logistic, no tactic, and there was the fact that they were simply, plainly, the wrong people for the job.

Fujimaru Ritsuka, a third-rate magus and one of Chaldea's voluntary applicants reserved for simulation trials. Being in the lower end of the hierarchy, her background was completely unknown to the director, although it couldn't possibly be anything more than mundane.

The second one was Mashu Kyrielight, a test subject for an about-to-be-discarded experiment who had come to possess the power of an unknown heroic spirit. Much more powerful than normal human, but completely lacking in actual combat experience and not to mention utter lack in understanding of her own capabilities as a Servant.

Then there was that strange cat-like thing that had been around since the time when her father was the director of Chaldea.

And lastly herself. The highest in the chain of command, but definitely unfit for actual field missions – observing and commanding from afar was more of her forte.

Speaking of commanding, the aforementioned two wrong-for-the-jobs had yet to return. It had been more than two hours already. Shopping for logistics, Fujimaru had said something to that line without even looking at her. Kyrielight had decided to follow her Master to keep her safe, as did that strange cat-like creature.

"Don't tell me… they are playing around…? No, Kyrielight won't do that, so it must be that Fujimaru girl… that uncouth, irresponsible, moron… does she even have the money to buy anything? ... no. I'm certain she doesn't."

Could that girl be planning to do something illegal? Was she going to steal or something? Was she capable to do such a thing? Olga didn't know Fujimaru for long and personally enough to be sure, but for that same reason, she had enough standing to doubt the amateur magus' moral standard.

The Fifth Holy Grail War itself would end in fifteen days. The first step towards the end of humanity would be taken in the next fifteen days, so whatever it was the redhead had planned to do, it better not draw any big attention towards their group. Not until they have completed the first two action in the list: find out the Masters and Servants involved, figure out the one who would win the war, then take action to prevent his/her wish's completion at all cost.

"Ugh... so much to worry about..." she said, slumping aginst the wall of the room.

Her stomach started to hurt again, worse than before. She hadn't had anything to eat since they were thrown into this era. Perhaps Fujimaru and Kyrielight would bring back some food with them...?

...

It occured to her how quiet it was, being the only occupant of this old mansion. With those two around, at least there were noises to convince her that she wasn't alone.

"They're going to come back, right...?"

The heiress to the Animusphere family name and the director of Chaldea Organization hugged her knees as a wave of melancholy washed her over. Was it proper for someone in her position to wish for a company? No, according to what she had been taught. Alone or in group, the head of Chaldea stood tall, unknown to pain which stemmed from emotional relationship.

 _"But is it okay for a girl like you to never make any friend?"_ Romani Ackerman's tactless, annoyingly innocent question resurfaced in her head. Now she wondered of what had become that stupid silly doctor. In this situation, even that guy would do. As long as the future she was from could confirm its continuing existence, she would even give that man a kiss. A chaste one, of course.

"Heh. The hell am I thinking?"

She smirked. Such foolish thought, such a wistful optimism.

However, it did give her the will to keep on trying, to continue working.

 _When those two return, I must apologize... we need to work together, as a team._

Right then, Olga felt a small twinge to the back of her neck. The makeshift boundary field around the house just reacted to some unnatural movement. Her heart skipped a beat from instinctive fear, but her mind quickly reminded her that the reaction was too faint for it to be something hostile. However it was also too faint to be human, so it couldn't be Fujimaru and Kyrielight.

"Could it be... wraith?"

The mansion they had taken for shelter was old, with traces of magical activity from decades past. Leftover thoughts, drifting remnants of dead memories, can take form in that kind of places, becoming apparations people would refer as ghosts or wraiths. They were spooky, but ultimately harmless as long as they didn't bear a large amount of grudges.

"Better check it out..."

Harmless as they were likely to be, the boundary field was still breached, which meant the wraiths came from the outside. There were no shortage of magecrafts which utilized spirits for infiltration purpose, and Olga was brave and bored enough to entertain that possibility. She waved her hand at the small orb of light hanging just under the ceilling. One of her simpler spell for ilumination purpose, it floated around to follow her as she went out of the room.

The room she had chosen for herself was located on the second floor, accessible from the outermost corridor. The hallway was dark when she got there, so she moved her hand to guide the light spell towards the direction where the boundary field had been passed through.

"...!"

Slightly stumbling from surprise, she caught the sight of a white shadow on the floor at the far end of the corridor. Small, with long white tail...

"Fou? Is that you?"

Why would Fou be here without Kyrielight? She walked ahead towards the creature, who oddly didn't make any movement or sound.

"Wait-!"

It was on the edge of her mind; the realization that she had just been lured out to the open. That tinge in the back of her head returned before she could fully wove a conclusion, stronger in presence that it was before. Taking a quick deep breath, she turned around on instinct, gandr spell ready to be unleashed from the tip of her finger.

"Good evening."

Her resolve, her bravery, all crumbled.

A silver mask just spoke, empty black eyes staring her down in the darkness.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE**

 **"What the hell, Doc? I waited for a month and this is all I get?" you might ask.**

 **Well, the long wait was due to me having a busy month, while this chapter being shorter than the last was because I've decided to cut out some parts of it. I wrote one segment from Archer's POV, and gave Rider more action, but they ended up disrupting the narrative flow so much it's ridiculous. At this point it's safe to assume that every update will have their own development hell.**

 **Yeah, I think I need a beta.**

 **So, what can I say about this chapter?**

 **\- I've decided to keep the "X in Y" theme-naming going. Now every chapter title will risk sounding like an old kung fu movie, for better or worse.  
**

 **\- Sakura v Sakura Assassin: The Dawn of Bloody Love Triangle. Are they going to be Betty and Veronica to Shirou's Archie? Some of you have asked about pairing, but I honestly haven't settled on any, if ever. I'm entirely playing by the ear where character relationships are involved.**

 **\- Rider's identity should be obvious. I'm dreading the day I have to write a scene of this tool and Lancer together.**

 **\- Mashu is in her first ascension state, by the way. I bless her navel just like everybody else, but her initial armor is not an outfit you put on for fighting. I mean, everyone will try to gut her! (hey, maybe that's the point: if you know the enemies are aiming to hit your belly, you can guard your way around it or something)  
**

 **\- Fou is here at last, mainly to act cute and provide levity, and I'm not promising anything more than that ;)**

 **\- Maltese? I don't know, Rin, he looks more like a Danish Spitz to me. How about you, readers? What does Fou look like to you?  
**

 **\- Yes, yes, I know what Fou really is, no need to yell.**

 **\- Fun story: have a look at official pics of female Ritsuka and Okita Souji side by side. Are their ahoge truly identical in shape, or is it just me? No, I'm not confirming or hinting at anything. Not at all.**

 **\- Ritsuka and Olga Marie don't get along too well at this point to give more room for character arcs down the line. The former is too carefree, the latter is too stuck-up; it's that friends bonding through hardship thing. Also, they were staying in the abandoned Edelfeldt Mansion for the time being.  
**

 **Next chapter is all about Jeanne. See ya!**

* * *

Thirty One Hours ago in Fate of Black and Crimson

The Saint watched on silently as the world burn.

Dark cloudy sky which contained only thunder and poison and scorching acid.

Barren land where nothing was growing upon and nothing was left undamaged.

On the dying land and under the dying sky, a lone warrior was waiting for his end.

Swords of many shapes and sizes pierced the ground around him like tombstones, broken and rusted and stained with blood.

"May the heaven accept your soul, o brave warrior," the Saint spoke.

The man had fought all throughout his life and up to this point. His goal, which he shared with his dearly departed allies, had been to save humanity from destruction.

Evidently, and perhaps unavoidably, he failed. All the Saint could do was to stay by his side as the end drew near.

"Not yet."

The man whispered hoarsely.

"There is a way to prevent this all..."

The Saint leaned in to listen. The warrior raised his bloodied hand, clenched his bloodied finger around her collar, and pulled her close until his ear was an inch away from his bloodied mouth. He spoke then, his breath as hot as flame.

"The shield is the key."

"Shield...?"

"The shield of Galahad. The one to gather them all. Find it."

Ruler woke up to the rattling of the bus and the afternoon sun peeking through the curtain. She pushed aside the piece of fabric to give herself an idea of where she was.

 _Yet another one. O Lord, please give this servant of yours your guidance._

She thought as she let the view took her unease away. The dream she had just had was one of many that had been visiting her slumbers since leaving France. They were all visions of destructions, of people she had yet to know suffering and dying.

 _Is preventing them my purpose for being here? O Lord, is that why you show them to me?_

Over the window of the moving bus, she could see a city situated between the Southern sea and quite densely forested mountains in the distance. A big river split the city into two; one humble residential town in the east, a bustling metropolis in the west. Ruler checked Leticia's watch over her wrist. One and forty a.m. The bus was right on schedule.

Soon, she would reach Fuyuki City, the place where the meaning to her dreams would be revealed.

* * *

Next Chapter:

 _\- Prayers in her Dreams -  
_


	5. Prayers in Her Dreams

**Disclaimer: Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Hollow Ataraxia, Fate/Apocrypha, Fate/Grand Order, and Fate/Prototype belong to Type-Moon and affiliated companies.**

 **Sorry for the (more) late (than usual) update. More than 10k words, but this is mostly an expository chapter. I tried to keep it engaging throughout and added some actions to spice things up, but you be the judge, as always.  
**

* * *

Jeanne went from the hotel after finishing the last page of Leticia's Macroeconomics paper. She wasn't actually sure if her work was elligible for a passing grade, and there were still a lot of homeworks left, but the Holy Grail War was fast approaching and she needed to gather information. After twenty minutes of walking through the town, navigating her way with a cheap tourist map, she arrived at a white concrete estate in the middle of a lush plateau.

It was the biggest church in Fuyuki. Not too large, but quite tall. When she saw it up close, Jeanne felt as though she was back to the time she had been alive. The place had a different atmosphere to it compared to the rest of the town. Away and remote from the modern houses which filled the suburban area down the hill, the church gave an illusion in which it seemed to stand in its own timeless plane of existence.

"Good day," a young woman in nun habit showed up from the left side of the building and greeted her with neutral tone of voice.

Her appearance was pretty striking. Pale white skin, long stark white hair, small stature; the nun reminded Jeanne of a delicate white flower or a thin-layered china. Poke her with your lightest touch and she would either wither or shatter.

"Good day to you too, Sister," Jeanne said. "I would like to see the priest in charge of this church."

The young nun didn't reply immediately, giving her a curious look instead. Her eyes, gold in color and devoid from signs of emotion, swept her over from head to toe. It was a little uncomfortable. She felt an urge to fidget under her flat stare. She wondered if it was her host's - Leticia's original personality coming to the surface.

"There's no priest fathering this church for the time being. I am the one currently in charge of this facility, my name is Caren Hortensia."

"Ah, then please pardon me, Sister Hortensia," said Ruler. "There is an important matter I have to discuss with you."

"Caren is fine," the nun said impassively. "What is this about?"

Jeanne took in a short breath before answering, "I think there is something wrong with the holy grail."

That changed Caren Hortensia's expression. Now something that resembled a frown formed upon her face.

"... who are you?"

A coldly asked question. The sleeves of the young nun's habit shifted ever so slightly - hands reaching down for something hidden underneath.

Jeanne bowed her head.

"I am Servant Ruler, Jeanne d'Arc. I was summoned by the Grail itself to act as a mediator for the upcoming Holy Grail War in this city."

Caren stared at her for quite a long time.

"... I've never heard of this. Do you have proof?"

"Of course."

The Maid of Orleans' war banner materialized in her hands, and Caren Hortensia's eyes widened.

* * *

 **Fate of Black and Crimson**

 ** _\- Prayers in Her Dreams -_**

* * *

When Caren opened the door for her, Jeanne noticed that the nun's hands were heavily bandaged. Rather alarmingly, dirts stained the linens, as well as the tip of her sleeves.

"Did something happen to you, Sister Caren? An accident?"

"Oh this is nothing. I was just out tending to some flowers when I noticed you coming. Please don't be concerned about the bandages either. This is normal."

Normal? What did she mean by normal? Jeanne couldn't guess what someone would bandage their hands for if it wasn't because of injury. It couldn't be a fashion statement, could it? The modern world was quite a strange place for her fifteenth century sensibillities, but definitely not _that_ strange.

The interior of the church was largely as should be expected of one. Plain white walls. Colorful glass windows depicting saints and angels near the ceiling. Three files of long wooden chairs for the visitors. One thing in particular that was quite unique was the large pipe organ. Placed on the right corner of the altar, its size and eccentric shape in comparison to the other objects in the hall inevitably drew eyes to it.

"It's how we keep our tactical neccessities," said Caren, noticing her curiosity. "Punch the right notes, and a secret door to the armory will open."

"... Really?"

Caren shrugged. "Never have the need to try it myself. Please wait here for a moment. I need to put these in the back," the nun said, raising her gardening tools for emphasis. She then went to the back door of the hall, right behind the altar. Jeanne watched the young nun's back as she went before sitting down on one of the chairs.

Jeanne thought over the matters they were going to discuss once more as she waited for Caren. This Holy Grail War she had been summoned to oversee, the dreams of apocalypse she had been seeing, and how the latter might be connected to the former. She wondered how much help Caren and the Holy Church as her backer could provide, or were willing to provide.

The Church was supposed to be the neutral party in this war. They wouldn't actively act unless the war present very real threat to the common populace. At this point, there was no telling if the prophetic dreams of a self-proclaimed heroic spirit saint would get them to act.

"I kept you waiting, Miss Ruler."

"Oh no, not at all."

Caren Hortensia returned, now in clean habit and fresh bandages. She took a seat on the chair next to Jeanne, so now the two of them faced the altar together.

It was like she was trying her best to not be too hospitable. Many of the kindest women Jeanne had ever met in life were servants of God, so Caren's attitude struck her as rather odd.

"You said there's something not right with the grail. Care to elaborate what is it?" began the nun, voice all business.

"It's not so much that I know _exactly_ what is wrong," Jeanne said. "More like, my very existence itself is the proof that there's a problem."

Caren glanced at her, eyebrows raised. Jeanne continued.

"From what I've learned right after the summoning, the primary purpose of a Servant Ruler is to protect the Grail from an outside force trying to tamper with its structure."

"The Grail... what does 'tamper with its structure' entail?"

"Something like trying to move it away, perhaps? Or maybe twist its inner workings somehow? I don't know magecraft at all, so I can only speculate as much, I'm sorry."

"The Grail didn't inform you in details?"

Jeanne shook her head. "I'm afraid not," she said, "it just gave me some vague drive... the way the original seven Servants instinctively know they have to kill each other to win the Holy Grail. I just know there's something with the Grail I have to help fix."

Caren put a hand under her chin, submerging into deep thoughts. "I can't think of any oddity in particular... maybe its the missing people case, but I don't think so..."

"Pardon?"

"No. Nothing. It's not quite an anomaly for a Holy Grail War."

"Sister Caren, please tell me about it. Any information at all would be truly of help for me to do my duty."

The young nun gave her another glance that seemed to have gained sharpness: Irritation. But before Jeanne could say an apology, she explained.

"Citizens have been missing lately. Young people, walking around town at night, not coming back home the morning after. Anyone who should have noticed their abscenes have lapses and false information in their memories."

"Mages are behind this incidents? A Master?"

"That's what the Tohsaka heiress and I suspected. We're currently investigating it. However, whatever scheme this is, I'm sure it won't affect the body of the Grail itself, especially if the perpetrator is a Master. Why risk damaging the very prize you're risking your life to obtain? Beside, this sort of things have happened before in the previous wars."

"It has?"

"The Grail didn't inform you of that either?"

Jeanne shook her head. Caren heaved a long sigh, her eyes watched the ceiling for a moment, choosing her words.

"The last Holy Grail War was ten years ago. Ah, now that I mention it, this is an anomaly in itself. It should be every sixty years or so I learned. A lot of crimes rose during the fourth war; children abducted, people murdered, even a hotel got blown up. In the end, nearly all Masters and their associates died, with two declared missing and only one survived and lives until this day. The final day of the war also left parts of the town in fire and heavily damaged. Hundreds of lives perished in the destruction."

Jeanne gasped at the appaling information.

"... May they rest in peace."

"Amen."

"Sister, how... how did it end up that way, the war?"

"It was chaotic to begin with, as I learned. Other than magi, a magus killer and a homicidal maniac became Masters as well. Those two racked up the number of casualties the most, including the supervisor of the Church and the civillians. Their Servants were the most destructive too, according to records. And the destruction at the end of the war was said to have been caused by the magus killer wishing for it upon the Grail."

The previous news was appaling, this one was repulsing. Jeanne could hear Caren's tone crack subtly at several points in her recount.

"... How could such evil be allowed by the Grail? Why would individuals with destructive desires got to be chosen as Masters?"

"Who knows? A lot of people have wondered about it, too. Perhaps it is _your_ mission to find out."

"Yes... it most likely is... and it does line up with the revelations I've been made to witness."

"Revelation?"

"Ah, it was the same sort that the Lord have shown to me back when I was alive. A glimpse of what is to come in my dreams, a command for me to do what I can about it."

"Words directly from the Lord, huh? The very same ones which prompted you to take up arms..."

"Sister Caren...?" Jeanne wondered if she had offended the young nun in any way. Caren's slightest hint of smile had a bitterness about it.

"It was nothing. I just thought for a bit, if the Lord ever spoke directly to me, what is He going to say. But more importantly, what has He revealed to you?"

Whatever it was about Caren, Jeanne decided to just accept it for now. It was most likely something very personal.

"I've been shown a dark future ahead of us," she said. "The world in ruins, its people dead, and the few who are left can only wail in despair."

"... the end of days? The Armageddon?"

"Perhaps. But I couldn't help but think that it's related to the Grail somehow. And now that I've heard your story, this Holy Grail War is surely going to be the cause of it."

"I see. Another twisted Master will get his hands on the Grail and wish for the world's destruction."

"That is a possibility," agreed Jeanne. "Sister Caren, how is the war going at this point?"

"There hasn't been any fight officially broken out so far, because Assassin had yet to be summoned. We predicted that an outsider with magecraft potential may be selected, Tohsaka and I. She told me it could be one of her schoolmates."

"You have mentioned this Tohsaka twice. Is she closely related to the inner workings of the Grail?"

The look Caren gave her in response to that question suggested that she should have known its answer already. But since Jeanne really didn't, she shook her head sheepishly.

"The head of Tohsaka family is the second owner of this city. Their great predecessor was one of the three great magi who invented the Fuyuki Holy Grail and designed the Holy Grail War in the first place. Hmm, now there's an idea. If the Great Grail is really under threats, the founding families must know something about it. Tohsaka would have talked to me if she noticed anything, but the heads of Matou and Einzbern should be able to provide you with more information. If you can convince them to talk, that is."

"You don't think I can?"

"It's just... magi have their prides and secrets and are proud of their secrets. It's difficult, without a doubt."

Still, she got to try.

"Where can I find the other two families? The Matou and ... the Einzbern, isn't it?"

"Matou's residence is in the next town, along the suburban area in the east. As for the Einzberns, they own a castle in the northern forest, hard to locate."

"Then I'll start with the Einzbern," Jeanne said.

"Today?" asked Caren. Jeanne nodded.

"When the war does start in earnest, I imagine it'd be even more difficult to see eye to eye with these magi. Better on with it now, when they have the mind to spare. The same goes for me, my duty as Ruler would impede with the search for information. There's no better time, really."

"I see. You really take your role seriously."

"So do you, Sister Caren. To be trusted with the position of overseer for someone so young, you must be very dilligent yourself."

Caren flashed a small smile at her compliment, though again, it was a somewhat wry one. Like there was something bitterly funny she wasn't aware of. Jeanne only hoped the humor wasn't at anybody's expense.

"I have no clue on how to reach their castle, but if you're sure about seeking audience with the Einzberns, I can at least provide you with transportation to take you to the forest border. Of course, if walking all they way there is more to your preference, I won't force you."

It wasn't clear if Caren was joking or not with the dry tone she said it with, but Jeanne giggled nonetheless.

"Thank you, I'm gladly taking you up on this kind offer, Sister Caren. While I am a Servant, this body of mine is still that of a normal human. Walking all the time would be a discourtesy to the owner."

"... Are you sure you could tell me that? It's a pretty glaring weakness for a Servant, if you asked me."

"We're working for the same goal, Sister. Of course I can trust you with the information."

Caren made another sardonic expression, this time without a smile.

"I'll go get the car," she said, getting up. "Be sure to share what you may get later."

* * *

The sun was already leaning down to the west when the car reached the city limit.

"Stop over there, please," Jeanne said, and the driver complied. The cab pulled over to the left side of the road and stopped.

"Thank you. Here's the fee, you can take the chance. Also, please forget that you've brought me here."

The driver nodded as he muttered a short thanks. Then without a moment of hesitation, he drove his cab away, leaving Jeanne on the edge of the forest beside the empty road. She turned and walked into the woods once the car had completely disappeared from view.

The Einzbern Castle was located somewhere within. Hidden by several high leveled barrier and many other forms of magical protection, its location was basically impossible to pin down without highly advanced magecraft of the seeker's own.

Jeanne didn't know any magecraft, not even a single spell. But the blessing granted upon her as a Ruler-class Servant was suitable enough for the task. She walked ahead. She just walked deeper into the forest, finding her way between trees and sidestepping the uneven terrain.

Finally, after about fifteen minutes of aimless wandering, she felt the presence of a Servant. With nothing more than a thought, she replaced Leticia's clothes into her Ruler attire, the weight of armor and metal plates nonexistent as her body also changed to accomodate that. Her lance, which also served as her flagstaff, materialized in the grip of her right hand. Now fully equipped and ready for anything ahead of her, she continued making her way to the Servant.

Another half an hour of walking passed, and the Servant's presence was becoming more obvious. It was the Caster-class Servant of this Holy Grail War. A moment of standing still and concentrating revealed their identity: a male heroic spirit by the name of Cu Chulainn.

He couldn't sense Ruler presence within the current distance between the two, but Ruler could pinpoint his exact location and surmise that he was performing some kind of magecraft ritual at the moment - planting some plant seeds into the ground. Was he the Einzbern's Servant? She doubted it. _The Einzberns desire victory more than they do the Grail itself_ , Caren had told her shortly before she departed. _When it comes to Servant, they won't take any less than the very best_.

Given that information, even if they had summoned Ireland's Son of Light, it wouldn't be in the Caster class. The man's legend was more sensible for a Lancer or a Berserker and he'd certainly be more powerful as Servant in one of those classes.

"If he's not the Servant of Einzbern, then he is their enemy..."

And what would the Einzberns do when they found out that an enemy had been playing around in their territory?

Ruler stumbled in her step as she felt the fast approaching presence of another Servant. From the north, Servant Berserker was coming for Caster.

"Incredible..." she muttered, her breath briefly taken from sheer awe and foreboding dread.

The mad hero Einzbern had drawn from the throne was an extremely powerful one, with worldwide fame that raised his statistics to an absurd degree. Heracles, the greatest of all great Greek heroes. Even with her advantages as Ruler, Jeanne d'Arc would be hard pressed to leave a mark on his skin.

Thankfully, as Ruler, there was no reason for her to face Berserker in combat.

Caster on the other hand...

"... There might not be another chance to talk anymore."

She hastened her pace, got to reach Caster before Berserker did. Her strides accelerated from a quickwalk into a run, ignoring obstacles with occasional short jumps. The distance between her and Caster shortened; he should be able to sense her any moment now...

 _"Yo, what's the hurry, lassie?"_

A male voice carefreely reverberated from every direction, as though the trees acted as his mouthpieces.

"Caster? Is that you?" Ruler asked without slowing down. Off in the distance, Caster was not moving an inch. "Please listen to me. I'm not here to fight you. I just need to talk."

 _"You know who I am already? Curious. What makes you rushing, though? Are you just looking forward to meet me that much, or-"_

"Berserker is on his way to you!"

 _"... Oh. Well, it's only a matter of time, I suppose. Though my work here is done, so I can just scram anytime, now."_

"Wait! Please answer my questions first!"

 _"Oy, if you keep running like that, you'll..."_

"Kyah-...!"

Caster's warning was left unheard, as right at that moment something rope-like; long, hard, and flexible wrapped itself around Ruler's ankle and lifted her body up. She struggled in reflex, but more and more of those things descended and coiled around her. The Servant's legs, body, and arms were rapidly wrapped and restrained. The more she struggled, the tighter their hold on her became.

"... these are...!"

Hanging vines. Like a frog's tongue to a fly, they had lashed out at Ruler and caught her. They now hoisted her up and brought her hanging upside down towards a clearing, where a long-haired man in blue robes was standing.

"... trigger my trap. How are you doing up there?"

The Sage of the Forest was grinning as he watched her hanging and rotating helplessly in the air. Ruler bit down on her lower lip in embarrassment as she tried to hold her skirt from exposing her bare legs.

"Dismiss this. Right now," she commanded with all the dignity she could muster. It must have only amounted little, for Caster broke into laughter in response.

"Eh, I don't mind, actually. Much prefer to talk with fine women without having to look up. But I can't just undo all of my traps if Berserker's really coming, can I?"

"You have to undo all of your traps to let me go?"

"Aye. I'm not that good of a mage, never been. It's always all or nothing with my spells. Wonder why I got to be Caster, really. By the way, are you Lancer? That's the class I'd prefer to be summoned as."

"No, It's not Lancer. I'm Ruler."

The puzzled look on his face was not too different from Caren's from earlier this day. In fact, it was almost identical.

"... There's a class called Ruler? What do you do? Measuring the lengths of things?"

It had been a while, no, centuries, since someone managed to irritate her with words alone. It took more effort than usual to give a normal, cool-headed answer.

"I make sure that the Servants and Masters of the Holy Grail War do not endanger outsiders, and that the Grail itself is safe from prying hands."

"Sounds boring."

"Anyway," she gritted, "that is the reason I come to see you. Caster, as the Servant of magecraft, do you sense something amiss? Either of the grail itself, or the war at large."

"Something strange, eh? Couldn't say I do. Everything is going the way I've made known to. Well, maybe the way the leylines under the mountain is acting erratic is supposed to be weird, but I don't have any business with that, so who knows?"

Leylines. It sounded important. Ruler wasn't at all knowledgeable about magecraft and its terms, but what Caster just off-handedly told her struck a chord.

"Tell me more about it, please. What's wrong with the leylines?"

"Heh, you said the magic word. Very well, there's-"

A loud roar. The forest shook from a roar louder and more savage than any beast, or even thunder in a storm. Ruler, still chained and hanged by the vein, felt a shiver run down her back. Berserker was near, and his very present choked her breath.

"... I'd like to continue the lecture, lassie, but I'm afraid our time together has come to an end."

Even Caster sounded grim, and Ruler had thought he was the kind of man who got excited by deadly perils.

A pair of trees were knocked down with a horrible rumble, allowing a bronze-skinned giant to rushed into the clearing. Looking at the grostequely sized Servant, Ruler suddenly understood where Caster's apprehension had come from. Berserker was not a deadly peril, he was death and destruction molded into form. He roared once again, deafening and silencing. It reminded Ruler of a war horn, heralding the masses to witness the arrival of a mighty lord.

"Now, now, what are you tresspassers trying to do in my forest?" a melodic, childish voice asked once the giant finished.

"What the fuck..." said Caster, and Ruler shared the sentiment - minus the cursing.

It was an absurd scene to see. Berserker was a giant of a man, maybe eight feet tall and more, with body that looked like it was constituted solely of muscles. The collosal Servant held a slab of jagged stone sword in one hand, and a little girl in the other. The little girl was like a beutiful porcelain doll, dressed in elegant puprle winter coat. Her hair was silvery white, complementing her peerless skin. Her eyes, however, were red like fine rubies.

A dreadful monstrosity and his angelic master.

"Einzbern...?"

"That's correct, Servant," said the girl. Her giant Servant put her down from his arm, then she curtseyed the way noble women of old did. "My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern, Master of Berserker. You can introduce yourselves if you'd like, though it won't matter. My Berserker will make a short work out of you both."

Caster chuckled as he waved his hand, and a wooden staff almost as tall as he was appeared for him to grab. "Hello, little lady. I was just admiring and adding some to the beauty of nature until you come. Now that there's nothing else for me to see, I shall excuse myself," he said, mimicking her curtsey in the most mocking way possible.

Illyasviel scowled, or maybe 'pouted' was the more fitting word. If it weren't for Berserker standing ready by her side, she'd look just like any normal girl, her unusual physique notwithstanding.

"Tresspassers shall be punished. Rude tresspassers shall be pulverized! Berserker, attack!"

"Lady Einzbern! Please wait!"

Ruler's plea was not heeded by anyone. Berserker roared and charged ahead under Illyasviel's command, and Caster knocked the bottom of his staff against the ground in return.

A battle between nature-bending magecraft and divine-enhanced brute strength had begun.

* * *

"GRRRAAAAHHHH...!"

Crossing the distance between himself and Caster with avalanche-like speed, Berserker failed to stop in time when the ground beneath his feet opened wide. Like the gaping maw of an underground predator, the ground swallowed his falling body. The mad giant reached out for purchase and could have pulled his massive body out of the hole if not for dozens of vines and tree roots suddenly growing and snaking and tying him down.

Berserker growled in anger as he struggled to break free. His arms and hands were tied, though they still held onto the ground strongly, while his legs were dangling over the traphole, being pulled down by even more vines. Even so, Caster was not about to let down his assault. Earth and wood wouldn't be enough to take down his colossal foe, so he utilized the other element in his disposal. The tip of his druid staff, crooked and square, glowed with runes as he aimed it to the trapped giant's head.

"Down you go!"

Fireballs shot forward from the tip of the staff. Each of them exploded on impact against Berserker's head and body with force equal of a hand grenade. The giant bellowed, more from annoyance than pain. Caster's bombardment did nothing to his skin, the explosions only loud noises and sea breeze against his godly strength.

"What are you doing, Berserker!? Get out of there and beat that stupid Caster already!" Illyasviel yelled from the sideline, her arms waved about.

While the fire attacks were completely unable to put a scratch on Berserker's skin, they still distracted him from what he was trying to do - breaking free from the trees and getting out of the trap hole. Slowly but surely, the barrage of fireballs was pushing the giant back and down into the hole. His roar could be heard between the sounds of explosions, however, not sounding any less fierce.

The fight had become a contest of endurance; either Berserker managed to hold out until Caster was out of power and break free, or he failed and got trapped and Caster would be able to do as he liked.

"You're persistent, big guy-!"

Caster began to sweat, and for a good reason. Runes, while taking much less toll on the caster's body than other means of magecraft, was still an art which required prana to use. Prana which he couldn't quite gather in time to continue bombarding Berserker. He had to think of another way to attack, one that would settle the bout at once.

The druid's eyes flickered over to the albino girl, about twenty feet away behind her struggling Servant, and got an idea. Despicable idea. His mind raced to find another alternative, but there were none. With a regretful click of tongue, he began to calculate as a different set of runes were conjured and hovered around his free left hand. _"Sorry, little lady,"_ he thought, _"but this is war, and you look really eager to play."_

A set of fiery runes hovered over his left hand, more than enough to take care of the child Master.

He hoped it'd be quick and painless.

* * *

The third Servant in the clearing took a deep breath, gathering her power.

The spell prepared by Caster with his left hand didn't go unnoticed by Ruler who was still dangling in the air. She had decided to see how the battle progressed at first, but now she had to interfere. The Lady Einzbern must not come to harm, as she might be the key to uncover what was wrong with the Grail. Caster, that damned fiend, was currently struggling to maintain four actions at once: the earth and the roots entrapping Berserker, the fire bolts pinning the giant down, and an air missile to strike Illyasviel.

The Sage of the Forest's attention was completely spent at this moment; Ruler couldn't have a better chance to break free.

"Lord, give me strength..."

Whispering a short prayer, Ruler flexed her arms and legs at once as she unleashed the prana she had cultivated in one explosive burst. The vines were cut loose with cracks. Caster's enchantments over the plants were washed away by her magic resistance, leaving the vines hanging her body to return to their natural state. She dropped down and landed with her feet crouched low, then immediately broke into a run towards Illyasviel.

The fire bolt took off from Caster's hand, traversed the clearing in an arching trajectory, circled around Berserker, and homed in directly towards Illyasviel's head. The young Einzbern's attention was directed to the wrong way, however.

"Wh-What are you doing-!?" Illyasviel let out a panicked shrill when she saw Ruler closing in, unaware that certain death was coming from the other side she wasn't looking.

Ruler ignored the panicky outburst, dashed past the little mage, and smashed the fire bolt head-on with her lance. The projectile burst into a large wave of flame that licked her over, but Ruler didn't even feel the heat. She stood to protect Illyasviel until it dispersed.

"Are you all right, Lady Einzbern?" she turned around to address the girl. Illyasviel had her mouth agape and her eyes wide in stunned silence. Ruler smiled at her.

"It's okay. I'm not your enemy."

"NO! BERSERKER!"

"Eh-?"

For a blink of an eye, Ruler was dumbfounded. Illyasviel's shriek was accompanied by a large amount of prana release which she realized was going to Berserker. The next thing she knew, she was spinning on her heel, driven by her sensing of a fast approaching danger.

"Watch out!" Caster shouted.

"...!"

The giant had escaped the pit, and for a split second Jeanne d'Arc thought her venture as Ruler had come to an end.

Berserker's massive stone sword struck the metal shaft of her lance, inches short of splitting her gut open. The strength of said strike lifted her feet off the ground and sent her flying. Her back crashed against tree branches, breaking them, then she fell to the ground on her side.

"Guh!" she spat out blood. Somewhere along the way, she had cut her lip. When she tried to get up, her left side throbbed in pain and blood seeped from her forehead. It seemed Berserker's brutal blow had knocked the lance against her own head.

Ruler used her lance to prop her body and managed to stand when Berserker and Illyasviel were a few feet away from her and stopped. The little girl was scowling, hands over waist.

"Who are you? You're not one of the seven. You shouldn't even exist."

 _That's correct, but was throwing your Berserker at me really necessary?_ Ruler wanted to tell her. "That is why I sought to have an audience with you, Lady Einzbern. I'm Servant Ruler, my presence in this war indicate that there's something wrong with the Grail itself, and that it may bring about a very dangerous damage to the world at large," she said instead. The blood from her head wound began to obscure her vision, so she moved her hand to wipe it.

Illyasviel didn't look mad anymore when Ruler's sight returned to less red-tinted.

"Ruler, huh? I've never heard of you, but I can find out," she said, sounding far more mature all of a sudden. "So, what is this about something wrong with the Grail?"

Ruler couldn't help but sigh. "I was hoping I would find what that is by talking with you," she said, "don't you sense anything off with this war, Lady Einzbern?"

"Cut it out with that 'Lady Einzbern' thing. Call me Illyasviel, or Illya, if it's too long for you."

"All right then, Illya."

Illya nodded in satisfaction. "Hmm, it has to be the Great Grail we're talking about here, right?"

"The Great Grail?"

"You don't know? It's underneath that mount over there in the east, the one with a Buddhist temple on top."

Ruler gasped. Something Caster had said about leylines underneath the mountain resurfaced in her mind. Where was he right now? He hadn't had it explained properly earlier. Ruler closed her eyes and concentrated on Caster's magical signature. She found him in a second. The druid had fled south, going to the forest border.

She would get him later.

"Does it ring any bell?" asked Illya. Ruler nodded.

"Caster told me earlier that the leylines under the mountain has been acting erratic. I don't know what that means, exactly, but I think it's important."

And judging from Illya's deepening frown, it was. Berserker stood by her side, still like a statue, but when Ruler inadvertently looked at his eyes, they _stared_. She flinched.

"Leylines... if that was the case, then it's possible."

"Something comes to mind, Illya?"

"Yes, but this needs more thorough investigation. I have to check out the site myself," the Einzbern Master went back to regard her with suspicion. "I trust you're actually here to help, yes?"

"Of course I am. I don't have any desire to obtain the grail. I'm only here to do my duty."

"Your duty... is it only related to the Grail? Do you have a burden of our own making?"

It was a puzzling question, one that might reveal more than it seemed to intend. A trick question, a test of character, perhaps. Ruler thought about it. She had known her purpose the moment she opened her eyes as Leticia. The sight of how the world might end had been revealed to her, and as heroic spirit with powers and might expected from one, it had become her duty to save humanity.

However, beyond all that, above the responsibilities she had as Ruler...

"I heard prayers in my dreams, Illya. Hopes for salvation. Wishes for the end of sufferings, for things to go back to what it used to be. If you say they are burdens, then I guess I have taken and carried them with me."

... Jeanne d'Arc just wanted to have their prayers granted.

Illya closed and opened her eyes in contemplation. She gestured for Berserker, and the giant obediently knelt down and picked the little girl up to his shoulder.

"I'll be going to the mountain the day after tomorrow. Do what you need to do, but don't bother me anymore until I say okay to do so."

"I shall do my best to aid you with this investigation, Illya."

Illya smiled. It looked sinister.

"When everything is revealed, strange Servant, perhaps we'll see each other from opposite ends of the battlefield," she tugged Berserker's wild mane of hair, "let's go, Berserker."

With that soft command Berserker dashed off, the little girl on his shoulder squealing delightfully as they left.

* * *

For once, Jeanne regretted that it was too easy to do what she had set out to do.

The Sage of the Forest was waiting for her quite the distance away from their confrontation with Illya and Berserker. He was leaning against a tree, grinning when she saw him. She approached him carefully, but this time there was no trap.

"Yo, lassie. Good to see you're alive, I'd still like to see your pretty face some more."

Ruler found his lecherous voice disgusting, but there was something else she had wanted to chew him for. "Save it, Caster. What you attempted to do earlier was heinous. Where's your conduct as a hero, trying to killl a child?"

"That child, love, is a Master of Berserker. She's fair game. Or have I been deceived by the grail, and now you're going to punish me for that slight?"

"It doesn't break any rule, yes, to attack a Master. But know that the moment I see you or any other Servant try something like that again, I shall interfere. That doesn't break any rule either."

"Whoa, isn't that an abuse of authority? Well, no matter. The next time, I'll do it without you knowing. Saving you the effort," he shrugged. "Anyway, I'm sure you're looking for me not because you missed me, right? Our conversation from earlier hasn't concluded."

Ruler nodded. It saved the problem of convincing him to talk. Even though she currently found him unpleasant, she still needed the information.

"You know what, though? After what I overheard from your chat with that albino doll, I'd rather not speaking of it anymore. Not until there's a further development down the line."

"What!? But it's important! It will affect everyone, Servants and Masters and ordinary people alike!" she protested, "and you eavesdropped on us!?"

"Trees are my eyes and ears, lassie," he laughed, "but about that leylines problem, I've got my own dots to connect, and after meeting you and that girl, now I get an idea of the kind of picture I'd draw when it's completed. So I can't tell you about it, but it's okay though, when Berserker's Master shares her finding with you, you'll understand that anything I'm able tell you at this point would be meaningless."

"... in short, you actually know nothing."

Caster laughed again, louder. "I know enough to be cautious with what I say and do from this point onwards, lassie. Keep in mind that me and six others are Servants fighting for the Grail, for each of our selfish desires. The more of us learn of this irregularity, the more of us will try to take adavantages of it. Ultimately you're fighting your own battle, danger to humanity or not. Point is, you couldn't control this war by stating your role to everyone you meet."

"Are you... are you planning something...?"

"Nothing you should worry about, lassie. Not for now," the Servant's eyes glanced towards the sky; yellow sunlight peeking through the trees canopying the forest. "Well then, it's time for us to part. May we meet again, in a more relaxed and friendly circumstance."

"You could have just leave since much earlier," Ruler said as Caster's body turned astral and his presence moved away.

 _"Heh. And missing my chance to mess with you? No way."_

Caster had left. Ruler took a deep breath, hanging her head in disappointment. She hadn't made as much progress as she would have liked. The threat ahead of her was still vague, and she had yet to form any concrete plan, not when she had so little information to work with.

At least the people who could actually provide helps had been informed. Caren and Illya were investigating too, so there was still hope for unraveling the mystery. If only there was another lead she could look into...

...

There was another one, in fact.

 _Shield of Galahad_ , she recalled the latest of her dreams. One of the few clues left in her disposal. If Galahad, the last of the Knights of the Round Table, were to be summoned in this war, he'd surely be one of the three knight classes. Saber, most likely.

Therefore, at this point, her goal was to meet and find the identity of every Servant in this war.

She closed her eyes and concentrated. Her mind expanded and sensed the presence of two Servants nearby, other than Berserker and the recently leaving Caster. Lancer... and Archer... in a building somewhere in the south. A school building.

Two Servants, nearing each other, but not fighting. It was unusual enough that it worth investigating.

"Let's start with those two," she muttered and turned to the direction, then began to walk.

She did not make it far before she stumbled, though.

"Oh God..." she lamented as her gauntlets and armor began to dissipate to the air. Her body felt heavier and tired out, more than ever. Her flagpole left her too, and in less than a second she was back to a normal girl, dressed in Leticia's clothes. Now she could no longer move at Ruler's speed or possess a Servant's eyes to navigate through the gradually darkening forest.

If she had no idea where to go she would be utterly screwed. The wound on her forehead had healed though, thankfully, so that was one less thing to worry about.

Still, she supposed the main priority for now was to get back to the city, to the shelter of her hotel room.

"I can still do this..." she said resolutely, resuming her step and persisting despite how heavy it was.

It was then that her stomach decided to loudly growl.

* * *

"Lord, hallowed be thy name..."

Jeanne finished her supper alone in the outer pathway of Emiya Shirou's traditional Japanese mansion, facing the yard where Saber and Assassin's battle had taken place. Emiya Shirou's leftover fried rice and omelet, heated up for about five minutes, tasted good. Enough spiciness balanced with salt and sugar. The half a day and half a night old hunger helped of course, but she could tell that the cook of this simple meal was quite talented.

Now that the last grain of rice had gone down her belly, Ruler put her plate and spoon next to her and continued to sit there, contemplating the day she had been through and planning her next action.

One thing confirmed: Servant Saber was not Sir Galahad. Her identity was disappointingly close and yet so far apart from the knight who carried the legacy of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Instead, it was Sir Mordred the Traitor, the one who brought the downfall of the legend to begin with. At this point, the chance of her actually encountering Galahad in this Holy Grail War was close to impossible.

The other thing, was how she would set a more peaceful (and safer) meeting with the important people she had yet to speak with.

"Matou Sakura, magus from one of the founding family..."

Would the girl know anything about the Great Grail? She was young, though, and Ruler recalled Caren Hortensia saying that it was the head of the family she should be talking to. That would be Matou Sakura's father or grandfather, she imagined.

"Maybe she can extend my request for a meeting...?"

She should ask her about it tomorrow. Right now it was too late at night, and the girl was busy too.

Jeanne glanced back to the inside the house, towards the living room where the young master of the residence was being tended by his Servant and Matou Sakura, and started to think about the last selected Master's situation. Was he actually lucky or not, surviving Saber's onslaught and lived? Either way, his life had to have changed forever tonight. She wondered what about him that had caught the Grail's attention, enough to deem him worthy of being a Master.

She couldn't find anything. Emiya Shirou was a normal man in every way.

His house might be surrounded by boundary field, but there was none of a magus' quality in him that she could sense. No prana circulation in his body, no apparent trace of magical activities within his compound, and no spiritual connection between him and his Servant. At this rate, Assassin would be erased by the world in less than twenty-four hours, unless a pact could be established before it was too late.

He needed to be informed of that. Once he was stable enough, of course, both mentally and physically.

"Ruler," Lancer who had been silently watching her from inside, finally spoke. The small Servant stepped out of the house and stood behind Ruler, her hood concealed her eyes from the latter's view. "I want to ask you something."

"Sure, if I can give an answer, I will."

"Can the Holy Grail really grant any wish? No matter how impossible?"

"... I'm afraid I can't be sure about that, Lancer. The actual scope of its power is unknown, even to me. But the Holy Grail of Fuyuki had granted someone's wish in the previous war."

"Was it a big wish?"

A deplorable wish, to be sure.

"For what resulted of it, yes. I think it was quite big."

Ending hundreds of lives in one night. Even with weapons of the current age, such a deed still required much effort to be done. With the Grail, you simply have to say it.

"Is your wish big as well, Lancer?"

"Hmph."

The small Servant refused to answer, opting to look the other way instead. Ruler let out a short and awkward laugh at that.

Medusa, the third and last to be born of the gorgon sisters. The guardian fighter of the Shapeless Isle before she was cursed into the dreadful monstrosity fated to be beheaded by hero Perseus. Ruler wouldn't have expected Lancer's identity at all from the way she looked. So young and so small. And from the way she acted so far, quite an adorable babe. She wondered what wish she could possibly have.

 _To reverse back time, perhaps? To stop the tragedies of her life before it cursed her?_

"Hi guys!" a cheerful voice came from behind, interrupting the brief silence. The seventh Servant walked out of the inner room, waving her hand. Bruises and cuts she had received from fighting Saber hadn't quite faded away yet, though her smile indicated they didn't bother her at all.

Ruler smiled back. "Hello, Assassin. How is your Master?"

"He's asleep in his room now, accompanied by Sakura-dono. We have applied medicines to his injuries and bandaged them. With Sakura-dono's magical healing, I'm sure he'll be up and about tomorrow morning fit as a fiddle. Now to get my buddy back..."

Saying so, Assassin stepped down to the yard, going to near the outer wall of the residence where a Japanese sword laid discarded. Her attire, which completely exposed her armpits and thighs, made Jeanne shiver from just looking. Winter hadn't departed from the city of Fuyuki and tonight was cold to her touch.

"You're not broken this time, eh?" the Servant of Murder said so to her sword with a fondness resembling that of one old friend to another. She then proceeded to materialized a scabbard, sheathed the sword in it, the turned them back to spiritual form. She also picked a piece of wood off the ground for Lord knows what.

 _She is yet another irregularity, that Assassin_. Servant Assassins were supposed to be comprised of the spirits of historical figures from which the class's namesake was derived from. Hashashin; the smokers of hashish and members to the order of killers founded by Hassan ibn Sabbah. Practitioners of arts heretical to both Christians and Saracens alike, they were ruthless and immoral and as far removed from the idea of 'Heroic Spirit' as they could be.

The Assassin summoned by Emiya Shirou was as far removed from the idea of a Hashashin as she could be. For one, her true identity was that of Okita Souji, one of the most famed swordsmen of Bakumatsu Era. The other thing about Assassin, she was closer in looks and presence as one of the three knight classes, especially Saber. When she suddenly sensed the presence of the seventh Servant on her way to Emiya residence, Jeanne had briefly confused it for a second Saber.

 _It might have been good for her, to be the second Saber_. Being put into the proper class would enable her to fully utilize the powers that came with her fame in this nation. But then again, if her Master in that scenario were still the same normal human Emiya Shirou, there wouldn't be all that much difference either...

 _It's pitiful, really._

Assassin noticed she had been watched when she was about to climb back into the house.

"Huh? What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No, I just wonder if you're holding out okay yourself."

"Ahaha, that's very kind of you. But don't worry, this humble Assassin is holding out very well right no- guh! Ugh! D-don't worry, just a little itch in my throat. I'm fine."

Saying as such, the girl who had less than a full day to life wiped the blood trickling from the corner of her mouth and puffed out her chest confidently. Jeanne's face was stuck between wanting to wince and smile at the same time. She couldn't bear to keep the information any longer, though she did find the bravado rather amusing.

"Assassin, I think it's better for you to turn back to astral form right now."

"Eh?" the Servant in question, stepping up the porch, tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you need to conserve your energy? There shouldn't be any prana flowing into you from your Master at the moment, if I see correctly."

"That's right. That's why I'm going to have a good night rest right now."

Jeanne frowned. This was starting to get odd. "No, I mean, going back to spirit form..."

"Sorry. That doesn't sound like anything to me."

"Like this," Lancer said suddenly, then she turned intangible.

Assassin gasped. "My, that's a neat trick, Lancer-chan! I wish I could do that!"

"Wha-? B-But... But you..." Jeanne was at a lost of words.

"Right? I mean, as an assassin, to be able to turn invisible like that would be very neat. I could sneak behind my enemies, infiltrate castles undetected, just like a shinobi!"

 _"Idiot,"_ said Lancer. _"Every Servant can do this."_

"Eh? Really?" Assassin's eyes widened and beamed with excitement. "How!? Teach me!"

Jeanne felt like her body weight was leaving her. She couldn't even begin to imagine how her face looked like at the moment. She only stared at the exultant Assassin, her mind was muddled with dread, resignation, and just plain weariness.

Without a doubt, there was something really, really wrong with this Holy Grail War.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE**

 **'There is Something Wrong With This Holy Grail War' was the original title of this fanfic, but it didn't sound stupid enough to be memorable, so it was changed. Not to mention, it gives the impression of a more comedy-oriented work, which this story is _not_.  
**

 **Finally, all the Servants are revealed. All that is left is to wreck the train and see what would be left of its passengers.  
**

 **A confession before the usual: I frequently redo previous chapters. No worries though, it's usually just grammar and typo fixes and text refinements. However, if there's a plot or character related changes, I'll tell you the specific. This time, I fixed the description of Assassin's eyes in the prologue chapter.  
**

 **\- Any disrespancy in Caren's account of the 4th HGW to canon F/Z was intentional, before you bother to point it out. Do tell me if you find something interesting with it, though.**

 **\- Fuyuki City is... confusing. FGO's world map puts it north(ish) of the sea, west of Japan, which means old town is east while new town west. The curch and the temple are up north, the harbour is south. However, the detailed map of the city (as seen in the recent Fate/Accel Zero event) has it the opposite, as the sea is put north of the city! Gah! What in the flying truck!?  
**

 **\- Aw, screw it. Tell me if you actually care about geographic details and maybe enlighten me if you have the time.**

 **\- Speaking of geography** ** **, damn, Sakura really goes the extra miles every morning, doesn't she? Just look at the distance between Matou residence, Shirou's house, and the school. How could Shirou _not_ notice her?  
****

 ** **\- One dilemma came to me so late: what is (the real) Okita Souji's gender in the Fate universe? I couldn't quite decide on that, so Jeanne didn't find her gender strange either. I mean, she never question Mordred and Fran-chan and Astolfo (before the reveal) being female in Ahocryppa, so it's okay, I guess?****

 **\- The existence of Ruler class brought so many questions: what about Angry Manju's corruption, El-Melloi I's dual Masters setup, the book of false attendance, Kojirou summoned as Caster's Assassin, etc.? So many violation, but where's Ruler then?  
**

 **\- The fact that conception of Ruler is a fairly new thing aside, my explanation is, as long as the Fuyuki Holy Grail War still consists of seven Servants, and its Grail still functions to "grant wishes", Ruler won't be summoned. Doesn't matter if it's actually Zoroaster God of Evil pulling the strings, or a Servant is the Servant of another Servant. As long as the basic stays the same, no Ruler will interfere.  
**

 **\- So, what does it mean for this story? Why is Jeanne d'Ruler here? You'll see. This is where the Grand Order connection playing its part.**

 **Westworld, The Expanse, Legion, and many other exciting distractions are back on air, so... future updates are gonna take a hit. Hell, they already have. Sorry again, and see ya next chapter!  
**

* * *

Meanwhile in Fate of Black and Crimson

This being his second visit, Matou Shinji no longer felt awkward when he asked the receptionist of the four stars hotel to make a call to Saber's Master's room.

"Okay, Matou Shinji-sama, Rikudou Reika-sama has confirmed your visit. She is waiting for you," said the receptionist, her smile wide and shiny and so very fake. Shinji said thanks then went to the elevator. He went up all alone in it, right to the very top - the most luxurious rooms.

"What do you think she's going to ask of us, Caster?" he asked as his hand combed his curled long hair. Got to look slick before meeting a lady.

The druid appeared in the flesh next to him, arms crossed. It was said that materialization of a Servant took away a chunk of prana from the Master's body, but Shinji felt nothing out of ordinary. It was most certainly the perk of owning a Caster; they knew how to bypass rules and common sense.

"It must be something pretty urgent, lad. How did she sound in the, what do you call it, telephone?"

"Just like the usual, actually. Sultry, alluring, hard to interrupt. Making you constantly wonder if she want you to fuck her..."

"... That sounds too much like a certain person to my liking."

"Huh? Who are you talking about?"

"A wench I'd rather forget forever."

The elevator rung once as it stopped. Caster got out and Shinji followed. This floor, in particular, housed only ten rooms. The _de luxe_ rooms. Rikudou Reika and Saber stayed in room number seven.

"The magical barriers wouldn't react to us, do they?" Shinji wondered.

"Aye. But don't move recklessly, Master. Every room other than our friends', they have nasty things waiting inside."

That didn't sound reassuring. He made sure to always be within Caster's arm reach until they reached the room in question. Shinji knocked on its door, and after five second, a woman opened it.

"Welcome," she said with a smile, and Shinji gulped.

It wasn't Rikudou who greeted him. Rikudou Reika was a Japanese woman with vanilla white skin and a pair of sharp eyes and sensually-toned body. This woman was a foreigner with creamy brown skin and exotic pair of wide doe-eyes and completely bared, sensually toned body.

Suddenly the air in the corridor became hot and his pants tightened around his waist and below.

"Come in, Shinji-kun," Rikudou's voice came casually from within the room. There were other voices too: low hisses and grunts like a mad dog in cage, soft moans of a woman, and a man saying something in unknown languange over and over again.

 _What the fuck is going on in there?_

"Hello, pretty thing," said Caster, giving the nude woman his arm so she could wrap hers around it and lead him in. She did it with a hearty laugh, winking and making kissing motions with her mouth. Shinji, mind blank and dick half erect, followed and closed the door behind him.

The room was the same as he remembered it. Spacious and luxurious.

"Hey, Caster. Please help my Servant," said Rikudou Reika from the long sofa in the middle of the room, her face red and her hand held a glass half-filled with wine. Sitting along on the complementing seat was Saber in full armor, face dark as she muttered some sort death curse over and over: "I'll kill them. That bitch. Her dimwit Master. I'll kill them both."

"That looks nasty," said Caster, once they saw what the whole fuss was about. It was a huge understatement, as Shinji felt like throwing up the longer he looked at Saber's condition. What kind of monster had she fought?

"Fuck you!" Saber said petulantly from where she was sitting, the wood occupying her eye socket moved about as she mouthed off, causing her to hiss in pain.

"Now, now, Saber. Is that what you should say to the gentlemen who's going to help you?"

"How the fuck did that thing get in there?" Shinji wondered aloud.

"It's the seventh Servant, Shinji-kun," the other occupant of the room said from the king-sized bed he was laying on. "The war has finally begun in earnest."

Shinji, whose attention was completely taken by Saber's condition, glanced up to the bed, then quickly turned his face away.

"Is this a set for some crazy porn film!?"

Dark skinned and blond haired, Shinji easily recognized Rider's Master. A magus from Eastern Europe with some Middle East blood mixed in, if he recalled correctly. The magus was currently laying flat on his back over the big bed, another naked woman sitting on top of him, moaning in pleasure as she rocked back and forth, up and down.

Shinji had to sit down, so he plopped down next to Rikudou, who giggled at his expense.

"I'm recharging my prana here," said Rider's Master, alternating between saying some sweet words in foreign languange to his sexual partner and talking in Japanese to the whole room. "I was spent from maintaining Rider and healing Saber, so we asked that you and Caster come here to help with the worst part."

"I see. So, what should I do, lad? Shall I release our dame here from her agonizing affliction?" asked Caster. The woman who had greeted them earlier fled from his arm and jumped into the bed and proceeded to plant a deep kiss into Rider's Master's mouth.

"Hey, Shinji-kun, your Servant is asking you a question," slurred Rikudou.

"I-I know!" he said, forcing himself to ignore the debauchery occuring at the other side of the room. "Help her, Caster. At full power, Saber will be able to help us eliminate Berserker, won't she?"

"Huh? If I was in full power, nothing would stand in my way! And call me 'dame' again and I'll cut off your johnson!"

Shinji flinched. Caster only sighed at Saber's antic as he bent down to see her eye. "Fine, fine. Let me see... oh well, we need to get that thing out of your sight first. Please bear with it, it's going to hurt."

"Guh, fine. Just... just do it quickly."

Without further ado Caster drew some runes in the air and they instantly got etched over the intruding piece of wood. Then, reacted to a flick of Caster's hand, it flew out of Saber's eye into his hand like it was pulled by a string.

Saber's scream of agony was horrifying.

"GAAAAHHHH! YOU SICK SON OF A SHIT! I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS! AAAAHHHH!"

Caster was way too calm after being attacked with such harpish cry. "Yeah, yeah, I'll keep an eye out. Now try to stay still and let me put some medical herbs over the... uh, hole."

"Sheesh, Saber is such a baby~" Rikudou laughed drunkenly.

"Shut your whore mouth, whore!" Saber cried.

"... fuck this."

Shinji decided that he couldn't take it anymore, so he went to the window, thinking the outside view might help him cope with all the madness. He pulled the curtain open, revealing a nice view of Shinto's night landscape over the all glass wall and window. Thousands of lights filling the street and buildings; it was almost hypnotic. Shinji put his forehead against the glass and reveled in the cool sensation.

He breathed a sigh of relief as the ringing in his ears began to subside. The moans of three people having sex, the grunts of pain from a crybaby knight, the mirthful laughter of a drunken woman, they all began to fade into mere background noises, allowing him to set his thoughts in order.

These were the people he was supposed to work with in order to obtain the Holy Grail. The idiots he had to ouwit at later date, when the number of enemies had dwindled enough. However, at this point he wasn't sure if they would actually last long enough until that time came. Saber, the supposedly strongest Servant, was defeated so badly, while Rider and his Master seemed to be far more interested in indulging their vices instead of actually fighting, and his Caster was... well, a Caster.

 _Damn it_. What hell was he getting so worked up for, this early in the game? Hadn't he vowed that he would show them his true mettle? His shitty grandfather, his useless sister, that bitch Tohsaka...

"I'm going to win..." he gritted out, glaring at the city down below.

It was then that a silvery emotionless face sudddenly peeked into the window, scaring him.

"Eeek!"

His heart skipped a beat, and before he knew it, he had jumped back as far away from the window as he could. The rear of his legs lost balance however, and it resulted in his back crashing against the sofa Saber was getting treated on.

The other occupants of the room immediately fell silent. A sound of something dropping to the floor could be heard right after that.

"Whoops. Sorry lady, we need to start over," said Caster.

"S-Sorry..." said Shinji as Saber glared down on him with one fierce right eye and a bottomless abyss where her left eye should be.

"YOU SACK OF SHITS!" she exploded, and chaos ensued.

Seemingly amused by the commotion inside, Servant Rider, floating outside, only tilted his head. The white haired girl slung over his shoulder grunted angrily through the piece of cloth tied over her mouth.

"Welcome to the family," Rikudou Reika said, raising her wine glass.

* * *

Next Chapter:

 _\- Understand in Time -  
_


	6. Understand in Time

**Disclaimer:** ** **Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Apocrypha, Fate/Grand Order, and Fate/Prototype belong to Type-Moon and affiliated companies.****

 ** **This chapter is disproportionately short considering the wait for it. Nobody is more aware and disappointed by that fact other than me. If you would, think of this as a closure to the first day of the war a.k.a the introductory arc, and a prelude to the next story arcs.  
****

* * *

Mashu and Fou were made to wait outside as Fujimaru Ritsuka went into the pawnshop to bargain. Their new acquaintance (and potential adversary), Tohsaka Rin, also decided not to go in without any more detailed explanation than that she had no business going in. They sat side by side, Kyrielight and Tohsaka, on a street bench outside the store, facing the gradually quietening street.

Of course, it resulted in the Shielder-class Servant having to deal with the mage's endless questions. And what questions they were.

"Basically, you were on the verge of dying, then a heroic spirit decided to possess you to fight in this war in exchange for more life span? And Fujimaru-san who happened to be near you, became your Master?"

"That's right."

"Fou! Fou!" Fou nodded his head repeatedly from between the two girls, as though he was backing Mashu up. Tohsaka Rin made a strange expression towards the creature, the fingers of her hands seemed to be twitching like she was holding back something.

Uneasy, Mashu made a quiet excuse as she ushered Fou to her side. Tohsaka didn't look to get any comfier in her seat, though. Perhaps it wasn't Fou?

 _Of course. There's no way she would be any more trusting of us..._

She had left out the whole story of having come from the future and that humanity in said future was dying, but Mashu decided to try to be as truthful with the rest. She was not a good liar, and piling up lies would only overcomplicate their effort. Tohsaka Rin would be a formidable ally to have in this Holy Grail War, if they could earn her trust. The Director would most likely agree with it.

But then, Mashu wasn't used to talk to strangers, let alone hiding information from one. Even she was aware how ridiculously obvious she had been in this conversation so far. Her answers only led to more questions, and sooner or later her only choice would be down to either telling the whole truth, or outright refusal.

"If so, then how did your Master come to know my name?"

Mashu could only shook her head on that one; she honestly didn't know. It was the same question she had asked to Ritsuka-Senpai in whisper earlier, but hadn't received any clear answer yet.

 _"I know her name and face from somewhere. Just can't place it yet."_ the redhead had said. To be fair, it wasn't an impossible explanation, dubious as it was. _  
_

Certainly, Tohsaka Rin was a famous figure among mages in Chaldea Organization. Her research into the Second Magic had been crucial in the development of Trismegistus and rayshift technology. However, Fujimaru Ritsuka was a low-ranked member in the facility, one of many novice mage volunteers for lesser researches in the facility. She never got involved with the main project concerning rayshift and singularities, nor she should ever have entered places where 'the Tohsaka Scale of Multidimensional Prana Resonance' was often mentioned. Not until very recently.

So how did Ritsuka-Senpai get to know Tohsaka Rin's name and recognize the mage by face? Several possibilities came up in Mashu's mind, none of them painted a particularly good light on her Master. She stroke Fou's back, trying to push away the thoughts.

"She did not become a Master out of her own will, did she?" Tohsaka Rin continued to ask, crossing her arms as she leaned on her back. "But I can't imagine why a stranger would recognize me at the first sight, and I'm sure I haven't ever met your Master before."

"Ritsuka-Senpai told me that she used to live in this city," Mashu said, almost a mumble actually. It wasn't meant to be said out loud, but Tohsaka Rin already heard it.

"Oh, is that so? So she knew me from back then? An old friend from grade school perhaps?"

The clear doubt in her voice began to irritate Mashu. "Tohsaka-san, I'm sorry but, why are you asking so much about my Master? Why does it bother you so much, her knowing you?"

That question didn't get an immediate answer. Tohsaka Rin regarded her with calculating eyes before they softened and she smiled. "I'm not planning to do anything bad to her, if that's what you're worrying about."

"Then why?"

"I'm just curious about her. She looks so much like a... an acquaintance of mine. I'm thinking she may be his family."

"Senpai never told me if she still had a family..."

"Huh, is that so? I thought you two are close."

Those words stung. Mashu found her own hands tightened over Fou. The creature let out a soft protest and she retracted her hold, muttering a small sorry.

Tohsaka Rin sighed. Her next words had less hospitality in them. "Okay then. Why don't we cut out the bullshit? You guys aren't good at keeping your secrets secret. I know you could have given me more answers than you have let on. So, I'd like to talk with the one in charge of you two."

Mashu felt as though her spine instantly freeze up. "W-What? What do you mean-"

"I want to talk to this person you call 'Director'. I overheard you and your Master saying that name several times on the way here. You guys left him back at your base before getting here, from what I could catch."

 _She is sharp,_ Mashu thought, crestfallen. As she feared, trying to hide everything had only raised her suspicion on them even more. At this rate, Tohsaka Rin might even consider them her enemies, right when they had more than enough problem to deal with.

"I don't have the position to decide. I have to leave it to Ritsuka-senpai. She is the Master, after all."

Tohsaka Rin nodded, though her expression suggested she was far from satisfied. "All right, fair enough. I'll tell it to her when she returns."

It didn't take a long wait after that. Ritsuka-senpai walked- no, pranced, out of the pawnshop, hiding something behind her back. She looked so happy too, with wide smile on her face and some merry tunes hummed behind it.

"Mission accomplished, Sir Kyrielight. Now we can proceed to seek provisions and other necessities for our quest for the Holy Grail!" she said smugly as she brought up the item behind her back, which turned out to be a rather thick envelope. When she noticed how tense Mashu was, however, she frowned. "Something wrong?" her eyes narrowed on Tohsaka Rin, "did she bully you?"

"No... but..." Mashu glanced at the magus in question. True to her words, she got up from the bench and turned to face Ritsuka-Senpai.

"Fujimaru-san, I'd like to meet with this person the two of you refer to as 'Director'."

Blunt and straight to the point. Mashu looked to her Senpai, whose frowns only deepened at that statement.

"Always have your ears open, don't you? Okay, but for what?"

"I'm investigating some suspicious cases that may be related to the Holy Grail War. I hope your 'Director' can shed some light into the matter, seeing that he has an irregular Servant and Master pair under his employment."

"What if I refuse?"

"I didn't ask for your permission, Fujimaru-san. Either you take me to him peacefully, or I make you do it by force. Your choice."

Mashu could feel her heartbeats intensified. She wasn't confident she could take on Archer, not with the state she was in. She hadn't figured out what special thing her shield can do, for crying out loud. Nonetheless, she inched closer to her Master, ready to turn into her Servant form at any moment.

It was one of those rare moment when Ritsuka-senpai looked and acted completely serious. The first time was back when Chaldea had been attacked. The second time was when she had argued with Director Olga earlier this night, and this was the third time. Arms crossed, the red haired girl maintained eye contact with the Tohsaka magus intensely; perhaps challenging the latter in a test of resolve.

Tohsaka Rin didn't back away, not even a bit.

"All right. We'll take you to the director," Ritsuka-senpai decided after about a minute.

"Senpai, are you sure?"

"What other choices do we have?"

Indeed. Rejecting Tohsaka Rin wouldn't bring anything but more trouble. Letting her meet with another magus of similar standing like Director Olga, however, might give them the chance to forge a valuable alliance.

Or it could just go downhill for them. The Director might actually have a different idea about involving somebody of this era with their war. Or her Animusphere pride would clash again Tohsaka Rin's Tohsaka-ness. _But at least there is an opportunity!_ Mashu squashed the pessimistic thoughts.

Ritsuka-senpai continued, "Of course, if you try to do anything funny, we wouldn't be so nice anymore."

"The opposite should be expected as well, Fujimaru-san. Lead me to anywhere queasy, and my Archer will have a couple of good target practices."

"Fou!"

"... A trio of good target practices."

"Okay," Ritsuka-Senpai shrugged. She gave Mashu a nod, which the demi-Servant understood as a sign of 'no hostility allowed'. _Though she is quite hostile to Tohsaka herself_.

"But before we go back to that manor of terror, we're going shopping!" the Master from the future suddenly declared, waving the envelope. "We need camping supplies, some food, cosmetics, and some food!"

Tohsaka Rin sighed impatiently. "It's quite late already, you know? Some stores are still open, sure, but are you certain you can afford all you need right now? They would choose to close the door rather than spending more time to serve haggling customers."

In response, Ritsuka-senpai smirked. With the air of a magician about to pull out a goose from under her skirt, she took out a ten thousand yen bill from the envelope. And then she took out another. And another. And another.

Tohsaka Rin's mouth was agape by the time the display of vanity finished and so was Mashu's.

"Who said anything about haggling?" Ritsuka-senpai said haughtily as she fanned herself with five hundred thousand yen cash.

* * *

 **Fate of Black and Crimson**

 _ **\- Understand in Time -**_

* * *

Ruler gasped when they met each other again inside the house, her eyes falling on the debilitated Emiya-Senpai.

"Good Lord, this is terrible," she said.

Emiya-senpai was as wary as he was confused. "Sakura, who is this? Why is there blood on her head?"

That was a good question. How could she explain who Ruler was?

"She's... uh..."

Thankfully, the blonde Servant was quick to the uptake. "Please pardon my intrusion. I am Ruler, a Servant summoned by the Holy Grail to act as mediator. I sensed Saber as she broke into your keep, so I informed Matou-san here and we both raced to save you. Though, it seems you've managed to get help by yourself, thank the Lord."

Still supporting Emiya-senpai's weight, Servant Assassin tilted her head curiously. "I don't think I ever heard about this Ruler thing."

"... You're not the only one. Now I'm certain that nobody does."

"Uh... can we get Senpai treated, for now?" Sakura interrupted worriedly. Emiya-senpai looked paler and less steady by the second, it looked like he might just collapse at any moment.

Assassin took one look at her Master and nodded. "Yup. Let's do that. Come on Master, don't fall asleep now, or I'll be very disappointed to have been summoned by you."

"My condition isn't that bad, I told you," Emiya-senpai said, hissing in pain as he took a step, but then spared a glance to Ruler. "Shouldn't we treat her too? There's blood on her head."

"Ah, this is just a stain," Ruler waved her hand, "the wound has closed a while ago. More importantly, you need first aid and rest right now."

Just as she said it, Ruler's stomach growled again. Sakura felt a pang of pity at the foreigner when she squeaked, eyes looking away in embarrassment.

"... If you're hungry, there's some leftover meals in the fridge. I can heat it up for you," Emiya-senpai offered with a voice that sounded just a tad bit delirious.

"No! Please be mindful of yourself for now!"

"She's right, Master, you'll only bleed on the food, with you like this."

"... That's gross."

"Senpai, just leave everything to me. You need medical treatment immediately," Sakura chimmed in as well.

After that much insistence, Emiya-senpai finally nodded in agreement and let Assassin bring him in to the living room. Sakura and Ruler followed the two, the latter quickly finding out that the pantry and the refridgerator was right in the corner of the room.

"Ruler-san. I'm sorry that you had to come here too. I'm going to fix something up for you to eat after I check on Senpai."

Ruler shook her head. "No, no, no. Please don't mind me. I can take care of that on my own. Just look after him for now, he needs all the help he could get."

"If you're sure..."

"Yes, I'm sure I can manage. Go on. See to him."

 _"I'll keep an eye on everything,"_ added Lancer, who had been slipping into astral form all the while.

Now reassured, Sakura returned her attention to the owner of the house... just in time to see Assassin tearing his shirt and revealing his injuries. Her heart skipped a beat at the display, for a moment thinking that the Servant was about to do something... not good to him.

 _She wouldn't. She's **his** Servant._

Said Servant noticed her and ask, "Ah, Sakura-dono. Are there bandages and ointment for open wounds in this house?"

"Huh? Uh, yes, there are some, I think..."

"Top shelf, the right one," said Emiya-Senpai as he pointed to the kitchen. Ruler, who was already there, readily opened the cupboard in question and fetched a white first aid box. She gave it to Sakura.

"T-Thank you..."

"I'm happy to help. Oh, right, you'd need water too. I'll go get it."

"Uh... ah..."

As Sakura stumbled to find words, Ruler was already moving, efficiently taking a washbasin from the counter and filling it with water from the dishwasher. Taken aback and overwhelmed, Sakura turned to her Senpai and his Assassin, then saw the extend of his injuries. It was worse than she remembered them. She had seen how red his uniform jacket was from earlier, but the shirt underneath was completely soaked with blood. Outside, the wound on his shoulder had looked large, but here, lit by electric lamp and bared, it was actually pretty deep as well.

She could see the flesh sticking out two ways at the line of the cut. The rest of his backside was full of other smaller cuts and dark bruises and blisters.

 _He was so close to death. When I got here, I could have found his dead body waiting._

Sakura covered her mouth as a sudden nausea rose up her throat. An unpleasant heaviness swelled up within her, gnawing at her chest.

"Matou-san, the water."

She flinched from being called. Ruler was next to her, bringing the water with.

"Huh? O-oh, t-thank you, Ruler-san," she managed to say, instantly regretting the stutters.

"Matou-san, are you okay?"

"I... I'm fine..."

She was not. Her body was trembling. For some reason, the sides of her eyes began to warm up; she was about to cry. _No, no, no, stop. It's not the time for this, stop it._

"Matou-san..."

"...!"

Before Sakura knew it, Ruler had put aside the washbasin and pulled her into a hug. The foreigner woman gently stroke her back and hair, lending warmth and comfort to her agitated body.

"It's okay. He will be okay. Everything will be fine. Everyone is safe here, so you don't need to worry anymore," Ruler said softly, her voice soothing as it reached Sakura's ear.

Sakura couldn't say anything. She let out a whimper as she buried her eyes into Ruler's shoulder, tears flowing unbidden.

* * *

 _"You're no son of mine."_

The words echoed in her ears, haunting and tormenting.

The knight left the king's work chamber without asking for permission, throwing the door behind her as she fled. Anger and disappointment clouded the knight's mind and brewed into a storm the further and faster her feet brought her. By the time she was deep into the woods behind the castle, she couldn't hold it any longer. She screamed towards the sky, beckoning the end of the king's reign.

"Hmmh...?" Rikudou Reika opened her eyes and saw dimly lit darkness. It was her own room and she was on the couch. Galiasta, Matou, Rider, Caster, all the men had gone. And the girls too. Groggily, she sat up and checked herself.

 _I'm fully dressed, and not wet. Nobody touched me tonight_. She chuckled to herself, the hollow feeling she got from that realization was oddly funny.

 _"You're up, whore?"_

"Hm? Saber? You don't sleep?"

 _"Are you going senile? I don't need sleep."_

Reika chuckled. "I suppose I had too much drink before I fell asleep."

Saber let out a grunt, her adorably petulant knight. It had been to Reika's distress that Saber had been stubborn on staying in physical form as much as possible. But now, when the Servant was invisible and talking directly to her mind, she didn't really like it either. It felt intrusive and restricting even though it really didn't, like she had to be careful with her thought lest they could be heard.

This whole mage and Master businesses weren't things she could ever get used to.

"How's your eye, Saber?" she started a conversation, more to distract herself than anything.

 _"... It's healing. Caster said it'd be three days until it fully regenerates."_

"Hmm, so we have to wait for that long..." she said airily, stretching her arms and back until the joints popped. "Okay then, rest yourself well, Saber."

 _"Whore, I don't like the sound of it. Doing nothing for too long will dull our wits. The war is just beginning, we should be looking for information about the other Servants, at least. We can't let those bastards thinking they're getting ahead of us!"_

"And by those bastards you mean..."

 _"Caster and Rider, of course! I can't stand their smug looks! What have they accomplished, anyway? The druid turned tail on his opponent, while that masked creeper brought home a helpless little girl!"_

Reika only nodded and hummed in response. The druid's opponent was perhaps the strongest Servant in the war, while the helpless little girl Rider had taken could be a valuable hostage, or asset - she was definitely a higborn magus, judging from her outfit and attitude. She also possessed some crucial information that would help their war campaign, if Rider were to be believed. Her Saber, on the other hand, was crippled by the supposedly weakest Servant and had forced her to use up one command seal.

"You're not wrong. We can't both stay idle," Reika said, "however, as you are right now, the best you can do is to recuperate your body and replenish your strength. Leave information gathering and other troublesome stuff to me until you're ready for battle. You've done your part."

 _"But that would be boring!"_

 _Sheesh. What is she? A grade schooler?_

"Are you fighting this war to escape boredom, Saber? Is that the extent of your wish?"

 _"Don't presume too much about me, whore."_

"Then do as I say, or you can break our contract and find another Master."

Saber didn't say anything after that. Not until Reika was back to lying down on the sofa, at least.

 _"Oi, whore, are you sure you'd be safe out there without a Servant by your side?"_

"Hm? What's this all of a sudden? Do you actually care about me, after all?"

" _... No. But I still can't fully trust our allies, especially that creep, Rider. I think he'd stab you in the back when an opportunity present itself."_

Reika let out a soft chuckle. _I think the same. But he won't. Not until I've outlived my usefulness to his Master.  
_

"Isn't that a good thing? You're going to be free from this lowly whore's filthy clutches, then, my good Sir."

 _"Feh, fine. Just so you know, I wouldn't miss you if it does happen."_

"I love you too, Saber."

Saber muttered some angry expletive before she fell silent completely. Reika wished Saber had been visible, if only to see her face. No such luck, however. The Servant's presence moved away instead, retreating to the other side of the room.

Reika tried to close her eyes, but couldn't sleep, not so soon after waking up. However, she was in no mood to do anything either, so she settled on looking idly at her two remaining command seals. Swirling patterns on the back of her right hand, which reminded her of roots of some parasitic plants. The mage had said that command seals reflected the soul of their bearers, so what did that say about her?

Parasites got removed eventually, before or after their hosts died. Perhaps they would latch on for long enough to perish together with the host, but in the end, one thing was for certain; the host would be better off without one on its back.

Yes, in that sense, the shape of Rikudou Reika's command seals made sense.

She smiled bittterly clutching the hand bearing the mystical marks. _Bear with me until the time comes, Saber. When the promise is fulfilled, your wish... will surely come true._

* * *

Sleeping was never really a problem for Tohsaka Rin. Even here, in the old and abandoned mansion belonged to Edelfeldt family, north of Shinto. The place was dusty, broken in places, and spooky in general. So much so that even the homeless wouldn't spend a night here.

But as she was a magus, she could whisper to herself to sleep and exactly five hours later she would wake up from a deep and dreamless slumber. She had done exactly that, too, after deciding to lean against the wall for her resting position.

The reason she suddenly stirred back to wakefulness in around the third hour was because Archer suddenly materialized, and her circuits alerted her of that. Curious. Ever since their encounter with Rider and following Shielder and her Master around, he had been staying in the spirit form. Rin silently wondered what hit him as she slowly raised her head from behind her knees and peeked.

Archer was standing near the two girls, Shielder and Fujimaru, his back facing Rin. The strange Master and Servant pair were huddled together on the thin folding mattress they had bought, along with that white dog-like creature they called Fou. They had been quick to fall asleep, despite their earlier worries about their director's safety.

Really, they were such weirdos.

Back to the present, Archer crouched down by Fujimaru Ritsuka's side, and Rin frowned at his behavior. _What is he doing?_ Against her better judgment, the young magus' mind began to produce unsavory thoughts.

 _"I can get a clear shot on Servant Shielder and her Master right now,"_ she recalled what he had said once they were safe from Rider's grubby hands. She hadn't thought much about it back then, occupied with other matters, but now she felt a shiver down her back. _Is he going to...?_

Rin glanced at her remaining two command seals on the back of her right hand. If Archer was really going to finish them off, she could stop him. But that would leave her with only one seal remaining, and as the war was just barely getting started, it would put her at huge disadvantage down the line.

Lights gathered before Archer's hands as something imaginary was being pulled into reality. _Noble phantasm?!_ Rin's command seals flared red in an instant, her mouth ready to shout an order to stand down.

Archer spread down a blanket over the two girls and their canine companion.

Rin blinked. The command failed to reach her tongue, which was fortunate yet so very confusing.

"Eh...?"

 _What? It's just a blanket? Where did he get that? Servants can store things other than noble phantasm too? Wait, is that blanket his noble phantasm!?_

It was unclear if it was her stupid surprised voice that gave it away, or that he had been aware since the beginning, but as Archer stood, he turned his eyes towards her. Rin, failing to react in time, could only stare back in return, her gaze full of question. Her Servant let out a small huff before he walked towards her. Rin flinched when he went down to one knee right in front of her.

 _Too close! Too close_!

"The night's gonna be a cold one, Master," he said quietly, another set of blanket appeared in his hands with a soft burst of light. "We can't have anyone catch sickness, not with the war just ahead of us."

He put the blanket over her back and tucked it over her arms and legs too. Rin only blinked, her tongue tied. Archer sounded so kind at the moment, she only hoped he could perhaps smile a little.

"Good night, Rin," Archer said, then he disappeared.

"Good night, Archer... thank you," Rin said, pillowing her head over blanketed hands. With it, she was warm and more comfortable than before, even though her position remained the same.

After whispering yet another hypnotic words to herself, she fell asleep. However, this time there was a dream waiting for her.

A dream of a world filled with fire and blades.

* * *

Sakura paused from laying down the futon when she heard a laughter. To her utter puzzlement, it was Emiya-senpai who did it. He was sitting cross-legged in the corner of his room as she and Assassin were preparing his bed and cleaning up the room, respectively. The girl Servant frowned at her Master, then gave Sakura a questioning look.

"Senpai, is something wrong?"

"Haha... no, I just think, 'so this is how it feels to be a baby'... oh, please don't mind me, I'm just being weird..."

Assassin shook her head. She continued to gather all the dirty bandages and patches as she commented, "Yup. You definitely need some sleep, Master."

"Please hold on for a little longer, Senpai. The bed will be ready soon."

Emiya-senpai shook his head. "There's really no need to bother so much, you know? I can just sleep in the usual arrangement."

Sakura frowned. "Senpai, please. Your injuries are severe. If this were any other circumstances, you should be in a hospital room already."

"Any other circumstances, eh? I don't even know what is this I'm getting into... nor how you're able to mend the wound so... easily."

He didn't say anything anymore, even though Sakura could sense more words trying to get out. She watched his expression, finding it saddening. He looked so completely lost and pained. Maybe he was suspicious of her, now.

 _No, not maybe. Definitely._

She had used her shadow to bind his biggest wound, on his shoulder. Threads had grown out from under her sleeves, stitching the torn flesh together, and would remain there until morning. Emiya-senpai had visibly flinched when he saw it; she could just imagine how strange, how _freaky_ she had been to him at that moment. There must be a lot of questions in his mind.

It had been almost two years since she had been hiding what she was from him. The time for confession had actually come now.

"Senpai, I..."

"Sakura-dono," Assassin interrupted. "I don't think this is the time. You too, Master. Please be patient. Even though we explain everything to you right now, I doubt you'd be able to process it. Perhaps tomorrow, over breakfast?"

Emiya-senpai let out a long sigh, but eventually nodded. He looked very tired already.

"Okay..." Sakura said. "Please lie down, Senpai. The bed is made."

She had stacked two futons for his use. The extra cushion hopefully could prevent his wounds from worsening as he sleep. Emiya-senpai got to the makeshift bed with Assassin's help, settling to lie down on his stomach. He grunted as he did so, and Sakura gently covered his back with blanket.

"... Thank you, Sakura..." he said, though it sounded more like an attempt at politeness than anything else. He sounded like a stranger. Sakura couldn't help but feel a pang of pain in her chest. _I'm just being insecure again. He's tired, and confused. He's not himself. Tomorrow morning, Senpai will return to his usual self._

"Good night, Senpai," she tried to smile as she said it. Her finger traced a circle over the young man's forehead, driving a suggestion of a deep slumber. Sure enough, he began to snore as his shoulders relaxed.

"Magic really is convenient, isn't it?" Assassin commented from the sideline. "It would have helped a lot back then..."

"Assassin-san, thank you very much for saving and protecting Emiya-senpai," Sakura said to the Servant, bowing her head in respect.

Assassin shook her head sheepishly. She might have made more exaggerated gestures if there weren't rubbish in her hands. "Oh, no. That's just my duty as his Servant. You're the one who actually takes care of him, even though you're also a Master. If anything, I should be the one thanking you."

"I... I didn't do much, though..."

She had even frozen, needing to cry on Ruler until she was calm enough to actually do anything.

 _What would happen if I were in combat? Would I freeze as well?_

"Sush, you," said Assassin. "In the end, you've done very well for your beloved. Any other thoughts are unnecessary."

"M-My beloved...!?" Sakura almost shrieked. "T-That's... um..."

Assassin winked at her. "Now then, please excuse me. I need to throw these away and retrieve an old friend. Please take care of my Master, Sakura-dono."

That said, the Servant got to her feet and left the room without a pause. Sakura awkwardly looked about between her retreating form and Emiya-senpai's sleeping body by her side.

"W-What is she saying...?" she whispered, her cheeks still heating up.

But then again, Assassin wasn't wrong, was she? Sakura let out a small smile as she gently reached for Emiya-senpai's cheek.

"You'll understand, Senpai. In time, you'll understand..."

Her senior let out a soft grunt. Sakura was a bit started, thinking he might be awaking, but it wasn't the case. He only talked in his sleep.

"... Stay. Don't leave..."

It suddenly became very warm under Sakura's chest.

"Yes, Senpai. I'm not going anywhere..." she said.

His mumbling continued.

"... Don't leave me... Assassin..."

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE**

 **Gotta admit, this story would have benefitted greatly from faster and more frequent update. That was my plan. Didn't happen, obviously. For various reasons, obviously. But I'm trying not to whine about my life anymore here.  
**

 **Well, at least it's still monthly, isn't it? _*dodging tomatoes*_**

 **\- So I think the unifying thread of this scatterbrain of a chapter is 'a character's change of perspective after the Holy Grail War hit them'.**

 **\- Sakura came to realize that violence really isn't her forte _and_ that her Senpai might not feel the same about her as she does him. Hey, am I being too mean to her, here? I hope her POV is not too overwrought. It's based on real life experience when a close friend of mine got in a terrible traffic accident. Sakura's reaction mirrored his family's.  
**

 **\- Mashu realized that Ritsuka has her own secrets that she didn't know about.**

 **\- Rin saw an unexpected side of Archer. It's weird.**

 **\- Reika and Saber bonded over their commonalities while being suffocated by their differing views and personal agenda. Theirs is a bubble on the verge of bursting.  
**

 **\- Also, everyone's sleepy. I don't know, the moment I stopped and reread, every single character was preparing to go to bed. Meh, let's just call it a 'thematic decision'  
**

 **\- The fact that I feel the need to explain all of that shows how confident I am about this update. Sigh.**

 **Here's hoping the next update will make me (and you guys) feel better about it. See ya!**

* * *

 _Shortly after, in 'Fate of Black and Crimson'_

By his estimation it had been almost two full days since he had been locked in the room.

It was a white-painted room with no window, nor any other way to have a look at the world outside. Everything inside it - a single bed with a single pillow, a small separate bathroom, and nothing else - was plain and more than a bit worn out. As far as he knew, the door was always locked from the outside. It did opend from time to time when he was asleep or using the bathroom, evident from the coming and going of meals.

 _"This time for sure..."_

The locked-in man was laying on the bed and pretending to have fallen asleep. He had decided that this was the time to play smart, as he should have done the first time he had waken up in this prison. Screaming and kicking at the door had been futile; all he got from his efforts were sore throat and aching toes.

 _"Come on, get here already!"_

He had been on his way back home from his afternoon shift when he was taken; that was the most likely scenario. He remember to have been rather drowsy as he walked, and then the next thing he knew, he was in this godforsaken room, opening his eyes after a pitch black slumber. The situation had reminded him of a certain Korean movie released last year, and he had had a severe freak-out over it, which had led to the aforementioned screamings and door-kickings.

Later when he had calmed down and his toes felt better, he tried to remember if there was any crazy love story he had been babbling about in his high school years, but found none. There was a chance he had had missed it, of course, but at least he could hope he wasn't in that kind of scenario. He just wished that there wasn't any way for his captor to gas him without his knowledge. That part of the movie in particular terrified him even to this day.

A clack. The locked-in man's thoughts returned to real time. _He's here_. The door to his room was being opened.

And open it did, with a low screech that sent a shiver down the locked-in man's back. A heavy footsteps approached the bed.

The locked-in man was close to hyperventilanting, his heart hammering underneath his chest.

"It's time to get out of here," a masculine voice, as heavy as the footsteps, said. "Do not do anything rash. I know you're not sleeping."

The locked-in man gulped down as he got up. He turned his head slowly to look at his abductor.

"H-hello..."

The abductor didn't gave a reply to the man's nervous greeting. He was a tall man with broad shoulders, dressed in all black. Definitely not the kind of person to mess with.

"Follow me, do as I say, then you can get out."

Saying so, the man in black walked out of the room, leaving the door open. The locked-in man hesitated, but having no other choice, he eventually hurried to follow his abductor.

They passed a dimly-lit and narrow corridor, doors on both sides. The locked-in man looked about as he walked, silently wondering if there were people like him behind those doors. Sometimes he heard sounds from within them, the kind of sounds that could come from anything. He hastened his pace before his imagination could run wild. Meanwhile, his abductor moved steadily, the eeriness of the place didn't bother him at all.

"H-hey! At least tell me why you locked me up!"

"You'll see for yourself soon."

They arrived in a rather spacious room. It was dark there, safe for the spot right in the center, where it was lit by candelights and a bizarrely glowing circle on the floor. Circle with intertwined octagrams and occult-like symbol over it.

"... W-what the fuck is this...?"

"Stand there, just over the side of the circle."

"N-No! Whatever is this, no!"

"You have no choice."

The abductor grabbed the back of his shirt then shoved him to the middle of the room. The locked-in man screamed and struggled to get away, but his abductor was strong. Within seconds the locked-in man was clinging to him, begging tearfully not to get hurt.

"P-Please, sir... please..."

"Repeat what I say, word for word..."

"D-don't hurt me..."

The abductor slashed his wrist open with something sharp. His scream was choked as his blood leaked out.

"Repeat what I say, or I won't help you."

"... O-okay..."

"Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill."

"F-Fill... fill... fill... fill... fill..."

"Silver, blood, and Iron are my foundation."

The locked-in man repeated the words as faithfully as he could. Blood continued to trickled down in hand and dropped onto the circle, one droplet after another. Perhaps his eyes was playing trick on him, but he could swear the circle was glowing brighter by the second.

"My soul shall become the chain to your fate, and your blade shall reside under my shadow..."

That was the sixth, or seventh verse. How many more were left? His consciousness began to waver, and he was cold. So cold.

"I shall be the black of the nights to come and I shall be drenched in crimson of all the carnage..."

It sounded ominous and he didn't like it. But he continued to chant, nonetheless. At this point he even doubt if it was himself who was in control of what his mouth was saying.

"Put forth your restrain and come, O breaker of balance...!"

That was the last verse.

He knew, because there was no way the ritual could escalate anymore after this point.

A shadowy figure was rising within the circle; tall, dark, and terrible to behold. It growled out one word as it stood and stared him down with a pair of bottomles black eyes.

 **"MaSTeR..."**

* * *

On the next "Fate of Black and Crimson":

\- EXTRA: _Appendix of Masters and Servants_ -


	7. EXTRA 1: Appendix of Masters & Servants

**Hey there, thanks for reading this fic so far! The real story update is in the previous chapter; this is but an extranous content.**

 **Disclaimer: Fate/ franchise belongs to Type-Moon and their affiliated companies.**

* * *

 _ **Jeanne d'Arc's Database of Servants in the Fifth Fuyuki Holy Grail War**_

 **[ Caster ] - Cu Chulainn - The Sage of the Forest**

 **Master: Unknown**

Strength: **_E_** Luck: ** _D_**

Endurance: **_D_** Mana: **_C_**

Agility: _**E**_ Noble Phastasm: **_B, A_**

Class Skill: _Territory Creation (B)_

Personal Skill: _Rune Magic (B), Divine Protection From Arrows (B), Disengage (C), Divinity (B)_

The most famed hero in the Ulster Cycle, or perhaps the whole Celtic Mythology. A deadly warrior best known for his skill in wielding spear, he was also famous for possessing knowledge of runes and druidic crafts, hence his summoning as Caster. Flirtatious to women, fights with traps and underhanded tactics, and possessed quite the keen mind. Seems to have a secret goal of his own.

Noble Phantasm:

\- Wicker Man: Cage of Scorching Fire (Anti-Army - Rank: B). A giant living effigy made from wicker. On its own, it has considerable strength enough to topple an army, but its true power lays in the fact that woods burn. When set alight, the flame of a burning Wicker Man said to devour anything in its belly into ashes.

\- Ochd Deug Odin: Great God's Carved Seal (Anti-City - Rank: A). This noble phantasm is most likely unavailable for use. Further details unknown.

 **[ Berserker ] - Herakles - The Great Hero of Labors  
**

 **Master: Illyasviel von Einzbern**

Strength: **_A+_** Luck: ** _B_**

Endurance: **_A_** Mana: **_A_**

Agility: **_A_** Noble Phantasm: **_A_**

Class Skill: _Mad Enhancement (B)_

Personal Skill: _Divinity (A), False Eye of the Mind (B), Battle Continuation (A), Valor (A+)_

Son of the king deity of Olympus, Zeus, Herakles or Hercules is perhaps the most renowned mythological figure in the world. The twelve deadly labors he completed in life formed his legend, and as a Servant it manifested into his conceptual noble phantasm, God Hand. As Berserker, he was completely mindless and only capable to register direct commands from his Master, Illyasviel.

Noble Phantasm:

\- God Hand: The Twelve Deeds Immortalized (Personal - Rank A). The manifestation of Herakles's twelve deadly labors, this is an ability to resurect himself completely after death for twelve times. Any form of attack or weapon that has killed him once wouldn't be able to for the second time.

\- Nine Lives: Hundreds Beheading. A series of extremely powerful, incredibly quick blows used by Herakles to slay the Hydra. Due to Berserker's lack of the necessary motor skill required to perform it, this Noble Phantasm cannot be used.

 **[ Lancer ] - Medusiana - Guardian of the Shapeless Island**

 **Master: Matou Sakura**

Strength: **_C_** Luck: _**C**_

Endurance: _**D**_ Mana: **_C_**

Agility: **_A_** Noble Phantasm: _**C**_ , **_B+_**

Class Skill: Magic Resistance (B), Riding (?)

Personal Skill: Beaconing Voice (B), Monstrous Strength (C), Affinity for Beyond (B)

The third born of the three gorgons, also the most capable in combat among the sisters. The monstrous blood within her was thicker in comparison to her sisters, allowing her to do physical feats rivaling those of demigod warriors. A girl of few words; innocent and awkward. Completely loyal to her Master, Matou Sakura.

Noble Phantasm:

\- Delphyne's Fang: The Immortal Slaying Scythe (Anti-Unit - Rank: C). A scythe gifted to Medusa by Apollo, forged by Hepaesthus from the fossilized fang of the gigantic serpent, Delphyne. Its blade has the atribute to sever any form of immortality. Hidden within its shaft and extended from its bottom pommel is a chain with endless length, used to capture enemies.

\- Cybelle: Mystic Eyes of Petrification (Anti-Army - Rank: B+). As Medusa before she was known as the monstrous Gorgon, she is able to control the use of her eyes. Once activated, it can slow or completely halt the momentum of any living thing in her field of view. If exerted by her monstrous strength, the eyes can petrify any living beings, turning them to stones.

 **[ Saber ] - Sir Mordred - The Treacherous Bastard Knight**

 **Master: Unknown**

Strength: **_B_** Luck: ** _E_**

Endurance: **_B_** Mana: **_B_**

Agility: ** _B_** Noble Phantasm: **_C_**

Class Skill: Magic Resistance (B), Riding (B)

Personal Skill: Intuition (B), Prana Burst (B), Battle Continuation (C), Charisma (C-)

King Arthur Pendragon's bastard son, born from a night of adultry with his half-sister, Morgana. Rising through the ranks of the king's court until granted a seat at the Round Table, he later attempted to usurp the throne for himself, an action which brought the end of King Arthur's reign. Tried to kill a potential Master, capability for destruction: high. Seems to be a highly temperamental person.

Noble Phantasm:

\- Clarent: The Radiant Royal Sword (Anti Unit - Rank: C). The sister sword to Caliburn - The Sword in the Stone. This one treasure within the armory of Camelot was originally made for ceremonial item. Only few were able to wield it in combat effectively, and with Mordred's ability to channel electrical prana into it, this sword become a deadly weapon of destruction.

 **[ Assassin ] - Okita Souji - The Dashing Manslayer**

 **Master: Emiya Shirou**

Strength: **_D_** Luck: **_E_**

Endurance: _**E**_ Mana: _**E**_

Agility: **_A_** Noble Phantasm: ** _D, C_**

Class Skill: Presence Concealment (D)

Personal Skill: Fake Eyes of the Mind (A), Weak Constitution (A-), Shukuchi/Reduced Earth (B), Japanese Swordsmanship (A+)

The captain of Shinsengumi's first division, famed for her beauty and exceptional skill as a swordsman. A true prodigy in martial arts who suffered from accute consumption, which caused her death by the age of 25. Seemed to be a carefree, cheerful person, but can be quite vicious in battles. Quite an airhead, too. Summoned without proper ritual by a non-magus, she'd disappear within 24 hours after summoning if no measures are taken by then.

Noble Phantasm:

\- Kojiki Kiyomitsu: the Poor Kiyomitsu (Anti-Unit - Rank: D). A japanese sword of ordinary quality. Famous for being chipped at its edge and then abandoned by the owner. If Okita Souji was to be summoned as a Saber, this aspect of its legend become its own mythical atribute: it will always return to the owner's hand in fear of being abandoned.

\- Chikai no Haori: Shinsengumi's Coat of Arms (Personal - Rank: C). The prided uniform of the Shinsengumi. It granted protection from fear and anxiety and minor protection against outside forces. Assassin doesn't have it with her at this point for reasons unknown.

* * *

 **Caren Hortensia's Database of Masters and Potential Masters in the Fifth Holy Grail War**

 **Tohsaka Rin (Status: Confirmed Master)**

 **Age** : 17

 **Gender** : Female

 **Last Known Whereabouts** : Miyama Town, Fuyuki City

 **Servant** : Archer

 **Servant's Identity** : Unknown

The fifth generation heiress to Tohsaka family. After the death of his father in the fourth Holy Grail War, her magecraft has been mostly self-taught with some occasional pointers from Tohsaka family associates in Clock Tower. Currently attending Homurahara High School; an eleventh grader. The manifestation of command seals on her hand was one of the first signs of the fifth Holy Grail War's arrival.

Excels at mana conversion magecraft, minerology, charms, curses, alchemy, invocation, elemental conjuration, formalcraft, and martial arts, in addition to possessing knowledges of medics, potion-making, and runes. An all-around prodigy who aims to make it big in the Magi Association.

/-/

 **Matou Sakura (Status: Confirmed Master)**

 **Age** : 16

 **Gender** : Female

 **Last Known Whereabouts** : Miyama Town, Fuyuki City

 **Servant** : Lancer

 **Servant's Identity** : Unknown

The second child of Matou's current generation, a first year student at Homurahara High School. Possibly a heiress. Details of her progress in magecraft studies is nonexistent. Has formed a temporary alliance with Tohsaka Rin to put a stop to the strange cases of missing individuals in the city. Closely acquainted with Emiya Shirou, a potential Master.

/-/

 **Ilyasviel von Einzbern (Status: Confirmed Master)**

 **Age** : Unknown

 **Gender** : Female

 **Last Known Whereabouts** : Einzbern Castle, Forest of Fuyuki

 **Servant** : Unknown. Possibly Saber.

 **Servant's Identity** : Unknown.

The homunculus created as a vessel of the Holy Grail. Also inheriting Einzbern family's magecraft. Details are scarce.

/-/

 **Atrum Galiasta (Status: Confirmed Master)**

 **Age** : 23

 **Gender** : Male

 **Last Known Whereabouts** : Shinto, Fuyuki City

 **Servant** : Rider

 **Servant's Identity** : Perseus, the Gorgon Slayer

The third head of Galiasta family, based in Armenia. Invited to the war by the Clock Tower. Inheriting a large amount of family fortune, he is a well known hedonist. During his stay in Fuyuki, he books the whole top floor of Fuyuki Grand Hotel, possibly remodeling it as workshop. His Servant was summoned before his departure to Japan.

/-/

 **Bazett Fraga McRemitz (Status: Confirmed Master)**

 **Age** : 24

 **Gender** : Female

 **Last Known Whereabouts** : Unknown

 **Servant** : Unknown

 **Servant's Identity** : Unknown.

An enforcer of Magus Association, considered to be one of the strongest. One of the few humans of current era capable to use conceptual weapons from the Age of Heroes. Reported to have succeeded in summoning a Servant the night she arrived in Japan on January 24th, but hasn't been heard of since.

/-/

 **Emiya Shirou (Status: Confirmed Master)**

 **Age** : 17-18

 **Gender** : Male

 **Last Known Whereabouts** : Miyama Town, Fuyuki City

 **Servant** : - Assassin

 **Servant's Identity** : - Unknown

A second-year high school student of Homurahara Academy. Became potential Master after Tohsaka Rin reported the formation of command seals on his hand. Average at text subjects but excels at sport, mainly archery. Doing part time jobs since tenth grade. Doesn't possess either sorcery talent or traits. Confirmed to be the Magus Killer's, Emiya Kiritsugu's, adopted son.

/-/

 **Matou Zouken (Status: Potential Master)**

 **Age** : Unknown. Possibly more than hundreds of years

 **Gender** : Male.

 **Last Known Whereabouts** : Miyama Town, Fuyuki City

 **Servant** : -

 **Servant's Identity** : -

The current head of Matou family. Suspected to be a heretic dwelling in immortalities. Hasn't made any appearance for the past ten years.

/-/

 **Matou Shinji (Status: Potential Master)**

 **Age** : 17

 **Gender** : Male

 **Last Known Whereabouts** : Unknown

 **Servant** : -

 **Servant's Identity** : -

The first child of Matou's current generation. Doesn't have any potential as a magus or a Master. Running away from home since January 6th, hasn't been seen since.

/-/

 **Fiore Forvedge (Status: Potential Master)**

 **Age** : 19

 **Gender** : Female

 **Last Known Whereabouts** : London, England

 **Servant** : -

 **Servant's Identity** : -

Student at the Clock Tower; a prodigious scion of her family who specializes in automancy. Suffered from disability since childhood; paralyzed from waist below. Tried to summon a Servant several times and failed. Currently believed to have given up on participating in the war.

/-/

 **Luviagellita Edelfeldt (Status: Potential Master)**

 **Age** : 18

 **Gender** : Female

 **Last Known Whereabouts** : Alexandria, Egypt

 **Servant** : -

 **Servant's Identity** : -

Student at the Clock Tower and the tenth generation heiress to Edelfeldt family of Sweden. She was last heard to be in the process of obtaining a summoning catalyst in Egypt. No report of command seals manifestation at this point.

/-/

 **Flat Escardos (Status: Potential Master)**

 **Age** : 17

 **Gender** : Male

 **Last Known Whereabouts** : London, England

 **Servant** : -

 **Servant's Identity** : -

Student at the Clock Tower, infamous for being a very zany individual despite his considerable talent. Has stated his intention to fight in the Holy Grail War, but is strictly forbidden from partaking in it by his teacher. Doesn't stop his attempts to summon a Servant, and it has caused several undisclosed incidents within the Clock Tower.

/-/

 **Reiroukan Misaya (Status: Potential Master)**

 **Age** : 19-20

 **Gender** : Female

 **Last Known Whereabouts** : Shimokitazawa, Tokyo

 **Servant** : -

 **Servant's Identity** : -

A magus living in Tokyo, the last heir to Reiroukan family magecraft. Passed away in early January from cancer without leaving any next of kin. Believed to have obtained a catalyst for Servant summoning ritual before her death. Her magic crest has been collected by the Magi Association for studies.

/-/

 **Hyouma Sagara (Status: Potential Master)**

 **Age** : 27

 **Gender** : Male

 **Last Known Whereabouts** : Tennoji, Osaka

 **Servant** : -

 **Servant's Identity** : -

A hedge magus living on the run from Association's enforcers. Found murdered by local street thugs on January 23rd. Command seals had begun to form on his body by that point. Didn't seem to have attempted any summoning. His remain has received proper burial.

/-/

 **Kishinami Kirito (Status: Potential Master)**

 **Age** : 45

 **Gender** : Male

 **Last Known Whereabouts** : Qingdao, China

 **Servant** : -

 **Servant's Identity** : -

An alchemist with sealing designation for attempting a highly classified experiment involving the moon. Reported to have performed several summoning rituals in Qingdao, China, which all ended in failure. Current situation unknown, waiting for further development.

/-/

These individuals have contacted either Magi Association or the Holy Church about their potential as a Master, and have stated that they have no intention to get involved in the war as participant: **Sesshouin Kiara** (Japan, 21, Female), **Gatoh Monji** (Japan, 31, Male), **Sisigou Kairi** (Japan, 32, Male), **Waver Velvet** (England, 29, Male), **Dan Blackmore** (England, 56, Male), **William Marius Animusphere** (England, 24, Male), **Rottwell Berzinsky** (England, 32, Male), **Ruben Svenson Riis** (Norway, 28, Male), **Faldeus Dioland** (USA, 26, Male), **Celenike Icecolle** (Russia, 26, Female), **Gordes Musik** (Belgium, 36, Male), **Razaq Mansour** **ben Latif** (Libya, 27, Male), and **Julian Ainsworth** (Denmark, 17, Male).

* * *

 **This database will be updated as more information comes to light during the duration of the war.**

* * *

 _A Promise in the Moonlight_

Shirou dreamed of a night with full moon. A memory of his twelve year old self as he was enjoying the peaceful time with his dad.

Their last moment together.

"I wanted to be a hero once," Emiya Kiritsugu said, out of the blue. "A true ally of justice, somebody who's able to save everyone."

Shirou looked up, trying to see what kind of face his dad was making. Usually, he could easily respond to Kiritsugu's preamble to conversations based on the voice he used. Tonight was different.

Kiritsugu didn't sound like he wanted a response. Nor did he look to his son as he said those words. His eyes were half-closed, looking towards the moon high in the sky.

Shirou listened intently. He felt he had to.

"I tried to make it come true, that dream of mine. But as I become older, I realize that it was too great for me. Impossible, even."

"So you gave up?" Shirou blurted out, somewhat annoyed at how vulnerable his dad was making himself to be in that moment. Kiritsugu was a strong-willed man despite his haggard, always tired-looking appearance might suggest. If the man actually put his mind into it, he'd finish whatever he set himself to do. Shirou liked that aspect of his, finding it cool. Every son wanted to have a cool daddy, after all.

But now Kiritsugu looked and sounded nowhere near as cool as he could be. The old man sitting by Shirou's side was tired, weary, defeated.

"I never thought about it for a long while. But, yes. I've given up, as I should have long ago."

"Then I'll do it."

Once those words escaped his mouth, Kiritsugu's attention turned to him fully. Shirou, in turn, met his dad's questioning gaze head on and continued.

"If you have really given up on becoming a hero, then I'll become one in your place."

Kiritsugu's eyes hardened as they continued to bore into his, and Shirou stared back without faltering. The boy had to let his dad know that he was being serious. That it was a promise he intended to keep forever.

Finally after a while, they softened. He won the staring match and his dad smiled like he usually did.

"Ah, if you could really do it, then I'll be truly relieved. No... actually, this is good enough. More than I could ask."

Saying so like he wasn't talking to anyone in particular, Kiritsugu went back to lean against wooden pillar of their veranda, his eyes once again looking up towards the moon.

"The moon... it's really beautiful tonight."

Shirou would like to voice an agreement as it was true; the moon was beautiful that night. However, he couldn't bring himself to do anything other than watch as his dad closed his eyes and fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.

Upon the old man's face, a smile had spread.

The smile of a man who had found salvation.

* * *

On the next Fate of Black and Crimson:

 _-_ Chapter Six _: Smiles in the Morning -_


	8. Smiles in the Morning

**Thought I wouldn't manage to update this until the middle of August, but thank God, here we are. Works have been a relentless freaking experience and I-**

 **...**

 **... Screw it. Let's just get to the story.  
**

* * *

 _Erstwhile on Fate of Black and Crimson..._

"Oh, come on~ you got to teach me~"

"No."

"I'll give you candies!"

"No."

"Foot massages?"

"... Where did that even come from?"

"Uwaaah, please Lancer-chan~ It's just not fair if I'm the only one who can't do it~!"

"Neither can Ruler... also, don't give me stupid nickname..."

"Uwaaaah~~! Lancer-chan won't teach me~!"

"Err... uh... come now, there is no need to cry... uh, Lancer, there isn't any harm in trying, is it?"

"Tch. Idiot. Fine, then. Just stop crying. Come on, show me your sword."

"All right. Here you go."

"... Such a quick turnaround. Now make it disappear."

"Bam! Done!"

"Aye. See if you can apply the same process to your body."

"Apply the process to my own body, eh? Okay, here goes... uh... unghh... uuu..."

"Congratulations. Now you can not be seen by humans. Don't ask how to turn back or I'll hit you."

"Eh? Really? Oooohhh... whoa... ooohhh! Yay! Hurray! This is great! Thank you! Thank you, Lancer-chan! No, Lancer-sensei-chan!"

"No, no. Stop it. Don't make up stupid nickname. Don't get too close. Don't hug me... y-you're hugging me already..."

* * *

 **Disclaimer: Type-Moon and their affiliated companies own Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Hollow Ataraxia, Fate/Apocrypha, and Fate/Grand Order  
**

* * *

"What exactly are we looking for again?" Tohsaka Rin said as she folded the edge of a moldy carpet Fou was sleeping on. Though the moment she had a look at what was underneath, she immediately recoiled in horror and lidded it back on.

"Our communicator," Mashu replied as she peeked under an antique-looking wooden table. There was nothing but dust and spider webs down there, so she sighed and returned to her feet. "It's, uh, well, our communication device..."

"A phone, you mean?" Tohsaka sounded a tad bit irritated. "What's with that face? I know what a phone is; I'm a magus, not a savage."

"Nah, nothing like a phone, though the function's kinda similar," said Ritsuka-senpai, who was checking the cupboard. "It's the size of an AirPod, but shaped like a miniature home pod."

"Ear... pot? Home pot?"

"... Oh, silly me. Right, they haven't invented those things... no, wait, even if they had, it's Tohsaka Rin we're dealing with here..."

"Hey, were you making fun of me just now? Be clear, what are you talking about?"

"Look, just... if you find something small and round and made of metal, and it looks like it's running on electricity, let us know."

"Okay, you're definitely making fun of me now."

"How can you be sure if you have no idea what I'm talking about?"

"Why you little... ugh, could your director have taken that earpot thingy with her when she disappeared, left, or got lost, or got abducted, whatever?"

"I found it on the floor last night and took it to bed with me. That, I'm a hundred percent certain."

Tohsaka Rin smirked. "So _you_ lost it."

"Guh-! Just, just try to find the darn thing, okay!?"

And then they continued arguing.

Mashu shook her head at the two,but thought nothing of their arguments. She remembered some researchers in Chaldea exchanging banters like those two all the time. The first time she saw it, she had been worried, but Doctor Roman had reassured her that it was sign of comradery rather than anything malicious. What has become of them? She never found out the fate of those researchers, as she, the Director, and Ritsuka-senpai were forced to rayshift before they ever managed to repel the attack.

That moment when the light of rayshift had swallowed them might be the last time she had seen Romani Archaman alive and smiling. With her gone, so was the last line of defense of Chaldea, leaving the good doctor to certain demise after sending them away.

Now discouraging questions popped into her mind. What was the point of having the communicator at this point? The device was damaged, anyway. Even if they managed to fix it, who would be there to answer their call?

"Here," said a heavy male voice.

"Eh?" was all Mashu could manage before she stumbled back in shock.

A tall, dark-skinned man was standing right in front of her, holding out their communicator towards her. Her mind raced; memories jumbling about.

She knew this guy. _He was... but no way..._

"It got some misplaced circuits, but they're all fixed now," he said before she could say anything and tossed the device at her. She 'eep'ed and fumbled to catch it for a bit, but by the time it was securely kept in her hands, the man was already gone.

"Huh? Did Archer materialize, just now?" asked Tohsaka Rin.

"Mashu? What's wrong?" Ritsuka-senpai followed suit.

Mashu hesitantly turned to face the two girls, showing the device in her hand to them. "I... uh... I found it..."

"Atta girl!"

Ritsuka-senpai beamed a briliant smile upon seing the device, while Tohsaka Rin's expression was more of a curious look than anything.

"This tiny ball lets you have a long-distance communication?" she asked in disbelief, arms crossed.

"Eh, well, it's kind of damaged for now. But now that I've got the necessary tools, I think I can tear it down and see what's wrong with it..." said Ritsuka-senpai.

"... You can fix electronics? Hmm, you're similar to that guy in more than just your looks..."

"Ahaha, nothing guaranteed about my tinkering skills, but at least there's a progress to be made."

 _Progress?_ But that man, Tohsaka Rin's Archer, he said the device was already fixed. That was beyond progress. He wouldn't materialize out of the blue, right in her face, only to lie, would he? Thinking that they'd lose nothing from trying, Mashu reached for the bottom half of the pebble-sized orb and rotate it counter-clockwise. If it was fixed, then something should be happening then.

The device blinked with blue light and let out soft statics.

"What!? It's on! How!? Has our lady overlord done it before she went poof!?"

"Huh. I thought it'd be more impressive..."

In contrast to Ritsuka's overt surprise and Tohsaka's flat tone, Mashu held her breath.

"H-Hello? Chaldea? Can anyone hear me?" she talked to the device. The other two girls leaned in to listen.

It was the longest seventeen seconds ever. The sound of statics didn't change and the flickers of blue light seemed to mimic her heartbeats as she wait for a response.

 _Please answer, please. Somebody. Anybody._

 **"Hello!? Hello!? Is anyone there!? Director Olga!? Mashu-chan!? Anyone!? Guys!?"**

Mashu blinked. Was this a dream?

As the demi-Servant was agape in dibelief, Ritsuka rushed to her and hugged her tightly as she cried in joy. Tohsaka Rin had her eyebrows raised.

 **"Is somebody there!? Please answer me!"**

From fifteen years in the future, Doctor Romani Archaman's voice called out through the pebble-sized device - loud and clear.

* * *

 **Fate of Black and Crimson**

 **- _Smiles in the Morning_ -**

* * *

Shirou woke up in his room from a deep slumber, face-down over two futons stacked together. His whole body was stiff, bandages covered his torso and arms.

It was painful when he tried to move, so he grunted. What had hit him?

 _"Oh, Master. You're awake,"_ said a girl whose voice he vaguely recognize. He turned his head and looked around, found no one in the room other than himself, and asked in confusion.

"Who's there?"

 _"It's me, your one and only Assassin. I saved your life last night."_

Last night. The phrase jolted his mind awake and the memories returned in a rush. A knight who turned out to be a girl had ambushed and nearly killed him, a girl who turned out to be a super samurai had saved his sorry ass, then a little girl dressed like grim reaper and a pretty foreign girl in dire need of food had also dropped by to help him and stuff. Oh, and Sakura apparently had mutant super power too.

"... that's gotta be the weirdest night in my whole life."

He carefully moved his right arm, recalling that it had received the worst in the scuffle. It was sore, but to his surprise, it felt pretty okay, all things considered. Carefully, he pulled down on the collar of his shirt to check on the wound, then flinched.

The black threads were still there, binding his wound together as they pulsed like veins.

"... Oh, jeez.. what the hell?"

 _"Yup. I can imagine what you're feeling right now. But we don't have the time to be confused, Master. We need to get you up to speed with the Holy Grail War, then plan our next move."_

"War...?" he groaned as he pushed himself up. Sitting cross-legged on the futon, he took a deep breath. "What war? What do you mean war? And who are you really? Why can't I see you right now?"

 _"Sheesh, so many questions. As expected of the last minute take-it-or-nothing Master. But no matter, Assassin here will support you all the way until you understand everything. First of all, why don't we name the characters properly? I am Assassin, your Servant. The walking tin can we chased away last night is Saber, Servant of some prick, and that cute squishy little reaper is Lancer, your lover's Servant. That foreigner woman is a Servant too, she called herself Ruler."_

"Servants, Masters... okay, I'm getting there but uh, I'm sorry, when you said my... lover? Do you... uh, do you mean Sakura?" it was not the first time somebody mistook what Sakura was to him.

 _"Yup, the purple-haired lady. Strange hair color, but who am I to judge? She owned a spare key to your house, tended to your injuries, stayed with you until you were rested, **then** went to clean up the mess Saber made all over your house. What could she be, if not your lover?"_

The information left Shirou stunned. Sakura deserved all the thanks, all the gifts he could buy her, and then some.

"That's... that's great of her, but no, I'm not her lover..."

 _"Hm? Is she your retainer, then? This residence does look like it belong to a lord."_

"... No. That's just... no. She's uh... a friend from school."

 _"A friend."_

"A close friend."

 _"Okay."_

She didn't sound convinced, Shirou realized as he scratched his head. Then he wanted to hit his head against wall. _Why the hell are we having this conversation first thing in the morning? And who or what the hell am I talking to?_ _Am I going crazy or what? Good God._

Shirou took a deep breath as he massaged his face. It helped a bit, but he needed more than that to fully refresh his mind.

"I'm going to wash my face," he said, getting to his feet. "Let's continue this over tea and breakfast."

 _"Roger!"_

Despite the possibility of him turning delusional creeping in his mind, the invisible girl's exuberant answer still got him smiling. He exercised his arms and back a little until they didn't feel as stiff anymore, then put on a clean shirt from the drawer. His mood lifted up for a moment until, on his way to the bathroom, he caught the sight of the ruined corridor. Paper walls torn, wooden floor chipped, but thankfully no leftover mess he could see. Sakura had been thorough in her cleaning, which made him owe her all the more.

After several steps, he stopped.

"Uh... Assassin...-san? Are you there?"

 _"Yes, yes, Assassin-san's here."_

Shirou looked around again and felt lost. It was impossible to pinpoint her position from voice alone, if she even was near him at all. Her voice seemed to be intruding his mind whenever she spoke, if that made sense.

"You haven't answered one of my question earlier, so, why can't I see you right now?"

 _"Oh, so you want to have a look at me, Master?"_

 _Why does she have to make it sound like she's teasing me?_ He felt strangely embarrassed all of a sudden. His mind recalled how pretty she was and how warm her body was when he had touched her, so in a way, yes, he did want to see her in physical form. But more importantly, he wanted the awkwardness of talking to nothing to stop.

"Yeah, I mean this is odd..."

 _"Unfortunately, a mysterious and beautiful Assassin only shows herself when dangers are nearing her Master. So, unless you think you're currently in a dangerous predicament, I can't have you see me."_

"... Okay, but you're here, right? In my proximity, more or less?"

 _"I'm right by your side."_

Curious, Shirou extended his hands and reached around. It felt stupid, but he had no other idea.

 _"Close, close, whoops, you missed. Okay, now you're getting there, yup, that's me."_

"W-Whoa..."

Back crouched and hands outstretched, the tip of Shirou's fingers sensed a strange warmth in the air, as though an invisible electric heater was just ahead of his palm, switched on and running. He moved his hands some more, tracing the warmth. Right hand up, left hand down-

 _"Gyah! Where do you think you're touching!?"_

...

Where, indeed.

"I... I'm really sorry..."

* * *

It was seven in the morning; sun was already up. Sakura was already busy in the kitchen when he got there. His junior was laying out some pieces of marinated chickens over simmering olive oil on frying pan. It smelled wonderful.

"H-Hey, good morning..."

"Ah, Senpai! You're awake!" said Sakura, turning to him and smiling. "How are you feeling?"

He couldn't help but notice that her smile was a bit too stiff, but decided to not question it for now.

"Better. Much better. Thanks for everything, Sakura."

"Oh no, not at all. I'm just glad you're all right Senpai."

 _"Just hump already, you two,"_ Assassin said, sullen and sudden.

"I-Idiot! The hell are you saying!?"

"... Senpai?"

"Oh! No, no, that was Assassin... she, she said something funny, haha..." his eyes trailed over, then he realized one thing. "Sakura... you, you know what I'm talking about, right? You know what happened. About last night..."

Sakura's expression turned downcast as she bit into her lower lip. Her eyes glanced back and forth between him, the empty space between her and kitchen cabinets, and back to the chicken.

"Senpai... that's... I..."

She looked so troubled that Shirou silently cursed his own insensitivity. "Oh man, I'm sorry, Sakura. Look, you don't have to say anything for now. In fact, I'm not having you do anything for now. Why don't you just relax, watch TV, drink tea, while I handle breakfast. You've done so much for me last night, so you deserve to take it easy for a while, all right?"

 _"Eh~ So she's done so much for you last night~"_

"Assassin, shut up. Sakura, hand me the spatula."

"Uh... er, it's okay Senpai, you are injured, after all. You should relax instead, just leave cooking to me."

"Nope," he shook his head, moving into the pantry. "I'll be failure of a man if these scratches hinder me from cooking."

At first, Sakura was taken aback, clutching the spatula like he was trying to rob it from her. But then she relented and gave it to him. "Yes, Senpai."

She had looked troubled then, now she looked positively dejected. _Damn it_. _Can't I ever do anything right?_ The guilt was cutting deeply into him. Worse than Saber's slashes.

 _"Lancer is glaring at you, Master,"_ Assassin chimed in. She sounded happy about it.

"Ugh, sorry if I'm being too forceful. I just... I need to do this, to calm my mind, you know... after everything that happened, everything is in jumbles. Again, I'm sorry, Sakura."

She smiled then, quite reassuring although the bitterness remained noticeable. "I understand, Senpai. I'll make tea for us."

"... That would be great. Thanks."

 _"Lancer's still looking like she wants to rip you in half, Master."_

He pointedly ignored that news.

Now that it was settled, Sakura went to brew tea while Shirou took care of the chickens. Other than chickens, Sakura had also prepared miso soup and tofu with mushroom sauce. He thought he could added more side dishes to it, so he checked his fridge. Picking lettuce and tomatoes, he proceeded to slice them into salad. The rhytmical thuds of his knife against wooden cutting board steadily put his mind at ease. Alternating that and flipping around chickens in the frying pan was practically a form of meditation for him.

 _"You're actually good at cooking, Master,"_ Assassin said, _"just like my sisters."_

"Sisters?"

 _"Yup. Two of them. They made chazuke with salted fish for dinner once. It was delicious."_

Shirou chuckled. The way she said it reminded him of Fuji-Nee, only cuter. "Is that your way of submitting a request?"

 _"Mm, a lot of work should be done before I could actually give your cooking a taste, but, sure, Master. I'm taking you up on that offer. Assassin-san here will give you her honest assessment to your skill then."_

 _Who offered you anything and who asked you to assess my skill?_ Still, Shirou thought it wouldn't hurt to do it. Chazuke with salmon did sound an appetizing meal.

"Good morning, everyone," said the other sleep-over in the house as she entered the dining room. "My, what a nice aroma..."

"Good morning," Shirou replied. Sakura did the same from the dining table.

The breakfast had already been cooked and Shirou was putting them on plates when the foreigner lady from last night - _Ruler_ , he recalled Assassin's explanation - showed up. She looked well-refreshed and healthy; there was no splatter of blood on her head anymore, at least. It was her clothes which gave him a pause. Instead of the white shirt and black jacket he remembered her wearing last night, she had a grey sweater on her. A familiar grey sweater.

"That's, uh..."

"Oh, this... Matou-san lend me these clothes last night..."

"I'm sorry Senpai, but I thought she needed a change of clothes, so I took one from your drawer for her to wear," said Sakura with a bit of hesitation. It puzzled him. Did she think he would get angry at her over that?

"No, no, there's no need to be sorry, it's fine. Just a little surprised to see her. I was... not in the best state of mind last night, so I was afraid I might mistake her for somebody else. Haha..."

 _God, that was awkward_. The foreigner girl scratched her cheek, smiling uncomfortably. His old sweater still looked disturbingly good on her. Sakura let out a forced laugh, mirroring his own.

 _"Smooth, Master. Very smooth,"_ Assassin's voice entered his head. _Shut it, damn you_.

"So! Uh... who's up for breakfast?"

* * *

Breakfast had started awkward at first but after several bites, it became almost natural. Everyone was exhausted and hungry after what they had been through yesterday, so the food got devoured rather quickly. The dishes were delicious, all of them. Meat, vegetables, broth, and rice. Jeanne enjoyed how their tastes adding onto each other over her tongue. When the plates were clean, she actually considered to ask for more.

"Thanks for the meal. It's delicious," she said instead, nodding at Emiya Shirou who sat across the table.

"All credits go to Matou Sakura-san here. I hijacked her work at the last second," the boy said, gesturing towards the other tangible member of the morning's breakfast assembly. Sakura blushed at being put in the spotlight.

"N-No, not at all. It wouldn't have tasted as good without Senpai's finishing touch. I still have ways to go..."

"Oh, come on. Your skill's been improving way too much. It's me who's being humbled here, after all you've done with the cooking, there was very little else I could add to it."

"I wouldn't get so far without your guidance, Senpai..."

Assassin snorted from somewhere in the corner. _"Augh, friends my right foot. Forget lovers, I'm sure you guys are married already. Where do you hide the babies?"_

"Damn it, Assassin!" Shirou's face was so red as he yelled such. Sakura who couldn't hear Assassin's quip sighed and shook her head.

Jeanne giggled watching their antics. For that moment she had forgotten that there were two pairs of Masters and Servants in the room. Instead, she felt like she was visiting a house of a normal family. It was peaceful and nice. The Holy Grail War seemed so far removed from reality, a slowly fading dream.

However, it wasn't. The war was still going, and these two young hosts she had been intruding needed to be reminded of that.

"Now that all of us are full and refreshed, I think we should get Emiya-kun here up to speed with what is going on," she began once the commotion settled down. Everyone immediately tensed up as all attentions were now on her. Shirou in particular had his eyes turned sharp, Jeanne could practically saw the questions trying push through his skull. Sakura, on the other hand, seemed to be in dismay at the change of atmosphere; her gaze languidly cast over her teacup.

"Emiya-kun, since this is all new experience to you, shall we start with giving you answers? What's the one thing you want to know the most? I shall try my best to explain it to you."

Shirou nodded. "There's a lot I want to know. I'm not sure where to begin..." he said, scratching his head, "maybe... the one thing that bugs me the most is... who are you people? I mean, Assassin and that girl with the scythe can move very quickly, that knight, Saber, I think, shoots lightning with her sword. And Sakura too, with her... shadows..."

At the mention of her name, Sakura tightened her hold over the teacup. Jeanne put her hand over hers and gave a comforting squeeze. The girl nodded at her, slightly relaxed.

"Assassin, Lancer, Saber, and I... we're not humans. As for Sakura here, she's just a normal person like you, only, she possesses knowledge currently outside your understanding."

"... Knowledge... as in... magic? Or ESP?"

"We call it magecraft, Senpai," said Sakura. "Magic implies phenomenons beyond the law of nature. What I did to you, stitching your wound, I could have used normal threads and needles-"

"But you used dark matter, shadow thingy instead..."

"Because we didn't have the tools at the time."

"... Right," Shirou said, sighing. "You are a witch-"

"It's mage."

"-Mage. And the rest of you are..."

"We are Servants," said Jeanne. "To be exact, we're spirits of heroes from myths and legends, summoned to this city to serve as Servants."

Shirou raised his eyebrow. "Heroes?"

"Yes," Jeanne nodded. "Emiya-kun, do you happen to have heard the name Joan of Arc?"

"I do. It's that girl who led French in the one-hundred years war, right? The one burned at stake, but now revered as a Saint."

She couldn't help but smile. Hearing her own life story told to her gave Jeanne an odd feeling. There was an ounce of embarrassment, mixed with a hint of pride and elation.

"Correct. Would you believe me if I told you that you're currently talking with that very person? With Joan?"

"Huh? Does that mean you're Joan... wait, no way..."

It wasn't just Shirou who looked astonished at that conclusion. Sakura had her eyes wide as she looked at her, and the intangible Assassin and Lancer shifted in their respective positions.

 _"You just revealed your true identity like that?"_ asked Assassin.

 _"Is it okay?"_ Lancer added. Jeanne gave the two a nod as affirmation.

"My role and physical constitution are a bit different compared to other Servants, but your Assassin and Matou-san's Lancer, and Saber... they are, too, heroes with myth or legend behind their name, as great or even greater than my own."

"Is that so?" Shirou asked to the corner where Assassin was. The Servant hummed in annoyance, directed mainly towards Jeanne. _"It is so. I'll tell you about it, some other time."_

"... Okay," Shirou stroke his chin in thinking. "I guess the next question is, what are you ghosts of heroes doing around here, and why did you do what you did... like, Saber tried to kill me, Assassin protected me, and that girl... Lancer... is with Sakura..."

"I told you earlier that we're summoned to serve as Servants. That's why Assassin protected you, because you've summoned her as your Servant. Look at those marks on your hand, Emiya-kun. They're called command seals, proof of the contract between the two of you."

The boy automatically began to examine the back of his left hand. His command seals were red, looking like a pair of jagged wings. He rubbed it carefully as his expression changed from apprehensive to mildly curious.

"I have it as well, Senpai, this bonds Lancer with me," said Sakura as she pulled down her sleeve. Three spots of red in form of flower petals were revealed for all to see.

"People who have those marks and are bonded with Servants are called Masters. As a Master, your role is to command and take responsibilities to your Servant's actions."

"To command... then, did Saber attack me because she was ordered to do so by her Master?"

 _"Told you, she's a Servant of some prick,"_ said Assassin. Jeanne pointedly ignored it.

"That's the most likely scenario. Saber's Master might have found out that you were a potential Master, somehow, so they ordered her to chase you down before you could summon a Servant."

"Why?" asked Shirou quietly. "That means somebody tried to kill me! What's the deal about this Master and Servant thing!? Am I... am I supposed to do the same!? Do I have to order Assassin to break into someone's house and kill them!?"

Shirou became more agitated the more he got into the questions. If it weren't for a visible flinch of pain as his arms moved animatedly, he might have slapped the table. His shoulder heaved as his breath ragged; his face full of scowl and seemed about to break to tears. From his side, Sakura grasped onto his hand as she shook her head.

"Senpai, please calm down..."

"Emiya-kun," Jeanne said, as gently as she could, "the purpose of a Master and their summoning of a Servant, is but for one. It's to fight each other."

Shirou mouthed a silent what, then he glanced at Sakura. The girl squeezed his hand and bit down on her lip. "I'm never going to hurt you, Senpai. I promise."

"I... I know..." the boy said. "But, fighting...? For what reason?"

"It's a fight, a battle royale, to decide the one most worthy of claiming the Holy Grail. An event mages and Servants named the Holy Grail War."

"The Holy Grail... War...?"

Jeanne nodded. "Long ago, in this city, a group of mages built a wish granting artifact which they christened the Holy Grail, modeled after the one presented by the Messiah at the Last Supper. However, the Grail can only grant a single wish upon its completion, so a competition was designed to choose the one worthy of the honor."

"By killing each other!?" yelled Shirou. "Sakura, you... you got involved in this? You... are you okay with this!?"

Suddenly being put in the spotlight gave the girl a start. She shook her head frantically.

"No, Senpai, I... the war doesn't require the Masters to die... it's the Servants who are supposed to... to fight..."

Sakura's grasp over Shirou's sleeve tightened as her voice grew smaller and smaller in volume.

"But they're all alive, just like us! Assassin, your Lancer, Saber, and Joan-san here! This is... this whole thing is wrong... having people fighting each other to death, and for what...? What wish could possibly be worth it!?"

Sakura dipped her head low as her body trembled. The poor girl was in the verge of crying. This time Jeanne decided to hold Shirou's other hand as she spoke, trying to calm him down.

"Emiya-kun, I know it's frustrating. Certainly, from your point of view, this whole thing might be nothing but a senseless nightmare. However, regardless of your feelings about the matter, the Holy Grail War is happening and you're now a part of it. The most important thing to do now is to decide what you would do from here on out."

Shirou let out a heavy breath. His hand, which was kept under hers, still tensing and trembling from overflowing emotions.

"This madness... I want it to stop. Whatever these seals are..." he eyed his clenched fist, "if this is the proof that I'm involved in this mess, I want it to go away."

For the first time since they had started the conversation, Sakura looked up with brightened expression. "Senpai..." she muttered, hopeful tone peeking from behind her soft voice.

Jeanne nodded in understanding. It was the best move for him, all things considered. He was just a normal person with normal mindset. If he kept wandering in the realm of wonder, he would soon stumble and fall. Better making his way out before he did.

"In other words, you want to have your right as a Master revoked," she said, concluding.

Shirou nodded. "If it's possible."

"It is."

However, there was one problem. Jeanne once again had to deliver a grave news. She silently prayed for strength before choosing her next words.

"That's your Master's decision, Assassin. What about you? Can you accept this outcome?"

Shirou reluctantly turned his head to where Assassin was.

 _"I... I actually have no problem with that,"_ said the Servant. _"It kind of sucks, but, considering the circumstances, yeah, I think this is the best outcome. He'll be out of danger and live on. That's good."_

"You are fine with losing the opportunity to obtain the Grail?"

 _"Winning the Grail to grant my wish sounds nice, but I think I'm content with the life I've had."_

"I see. You are certainly a noble soul, worthy of the title 'Heroic Spirit'."

 _"Ehehe, is that so? When someone as great as you compliment me, this humble Assassin couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed..."_

"Wait, wait, wait," Shirou interrupted, his hands waving about. "I'm feeling left out. What's going on? Why did you ask for Assassin's opinion?"

"Senpai," this time Sakura decided to take over. "Heroic spirits became our Servants because they, too, have a desire to obtain the Holy Grail. Masters and Servants are supposed to work together for this mutual goal."

"In other words," said Jeanne, "by withdrawing from the war, you're denying your Servant's wish and reason for being here."

"What...?"

 _"Don't worry, though, Master. I'm no stranger to the life of a ronin. I can find another Master to serve, and failing that, well, I'm no stranger to dying, either."_

"Dying...?"

There was that horrified look on Shirou's face which made Jeanne bit her lips in regret. She should have chosen her words with more care, and cautioned Assassin to do the same. Now with so much unpleasant facts being revealed to the poor boy, his mind got to be filled with even more confusion and dilemmas. Indeed, the concept of Holy Grail War was too absurd for his mind, unknowing about magecraft as it was. The more she tried to make it clear, the broader the subjects she had to cover, and consequently, the more difficult for him to make sense of it.

However, there was no way to undo the mistake. At this point she could only tell him the truth.

"Heroic spirits do not belong in the world of mortals, Emiya-kun. To be staying here, and furthermore, to gain physical form, we require spiritual connection with living humans. That is another role of a Master; to act as an anchor of some sort, binding our spiritual existence into this material realm. Without a Master, a Servant cannot stay in this world. They'll die."

"You gotta be kidding me... are you telling me that if I don't fight, Assassin will die?"

"Senpai, that's..." Sakura couldn't finished whatever she was trying to say. Her gaze moved over to her own Servant before she shut her eyes tight and shook her head.

Ruler understood. Even though she was a magus, the thought of commanding a Servant to fight to the death also burdened Matou Sakura's conscience. She wanted her senpai to live on without getting involved with the war, but to say that he had to abandon his Servant to die, which was something she couldn't do with her own Servant, was not something she could just do.

 _O Lord, may they find salvation in this path they've chosen for themselves, these young and innocent mages..._

 _"It's a high-risk, high-reward situation, Master,"_ said Assassin, her voice low and serious. _"By willing to risk experiencing death for the second time, we get the opportunity to fulfill whatever it was we've failed to accomplish in our lives. The promise of the Holy Grail was a great temptation even to us dead people."_

"So you're going to fight, no matter what?"

 _"I am going to keep fighting. However, with all the seven slots filled already, my chance to find another Master before the world thinks it have had enough of me is slim at best. That's okay, though. I'm glad I got to fight for you once, at least. It was an honor."_

As if it weren't evident how difficult the whole thing was for him, Shirou clutched his head and looked down onto the table.

"Emiya-kun, if your decision hasn't changed, I'm going to bring you to the supervisor of the Holy Grail War. She's the one able to remove your command seals."

"... That's not enough."

"Huh?"

"... What do you mean, Senpai?"

"It's not enough with me alone withdrawing. This whole Holy Grail War madness cannot continue. It has to stop."

Ruler blinked dumbly. His statement was as far removed from what she expected to hear as they could be. Her mind actually had a hard time to catch up with the idea and what it implied.

"You... you want to stop the Holy Grail War?"

"Exactly. There had to be a way to choose who can have the Grail without having to kill each other."

 _"That's absurd,"_ Lancer commented. Jeanne had to agree with the petite Servant.

"It's... It's certainly a grand idea, Emiya-kun, but... I don't think it'd be possible. There are a lot of complications and rules factoring into this, and I'm afraid that you are... you are simply lacking in understanding of how they all work together."

"But can't I at least try?"

"How are you going to do it?" she asked back.

"You mentioned earlier that this event has a supervisor. I'd like to speak with her. She can take these seals off my skin, can't she? Well, then she could do the same to the other Masters as well."

Matou Sakura gasped in surprise. Jeanne could imagine how crazy that plan sounded to her magus ears.

 _"In short, you want to convince all participants to revoke their Master status, is that it? My God, I've been summoned by a crazy Master."_

Emiya Shirou didn't look crazy, though. His eyes were burning with determination. It was honestly worrying.

"Senpai," Sakura began. "Please think about it carefully. You're talking about bargaining with mages, but you... I'm sorry, but you know nothing about us, about our world and custom. They, the other Masters, they will see what you're trying to do as an act of insolence. They might direct all their war efforts on you out of anger, and, Senpai, you can't just fight them off. Not without hurting yourself. So please, don't be rash about this..."

"Exactly, Sakura. I know nothing about this whole mages business. But the reverse should also be true; there's no way people who are willing to spend so much time and resource to design this insanity could have understood how this could affect normal folks like me. Only one of these Servants was enough to cause so much damage and would have done more had you and Assassin not come to save me. What could happen to the city, to the other people who might not be so lucky? They, these mages, they had to know that this is wrong. That this, cannot continue."

 _But would they even stop to listen to you, though?_ For a moment, Jeanne tried to imagine herself as a normal girl living in this modern, normal world. She thought of what that version of Jeanne would do if she had been in Emiya Shirou's shoes at this moment. Would she just come to accept the truth?

Yes, as much of a person with good conscience as that Jeanne could be, in the face of such an overwhelming, reality-shattering revelation, she'd just wanted to cut herself loose from the ordeal. If she were to be given the choice to stay away from the war, she'd do so immediately, the hard and bitter thoughts all swallowed and forgotten.

But with this Emiya Shirou... she sensed something else. A drive, a desperation to do something _more_. Like he would be losing something if he chose to settle for the easy answer.

"It's just so like you, Senpai. So unfair..." Matou Sakura said in resignation. Tears began to well up in her eyes. "... you continued to try to jump, even now..."

"... I'm sorry," Shirou said, albeit from the looks on his eyes, he didn't fully understand it.

Jeanne took a deep breath before she asked the final verdict. "So, Emiya-kun. Is this your final decision? Is that what you want to do?"

Shirou contemplated it for some more time, and when he looked ahead to meet her eyes, his gaze was resolute. "Yes, I've decided."

"What about you, Assassin?"

 _"Me? I'm still contracted to Emiya-dono here, so I'll be going along with his scheme for as long as it lasts."_

The swordswoman's voice was a little carefree, but Jeanne could hear the edge. Okita Souji. True to her identity as a samurai, the Assassin-class Servant had decided to stay loyal, but she was also anticipating the worst. Even now she was no doubt thinking of what would be the best for her Master.

To be having her by his side, in a way, Emiya Shirou was blessed.

"All right then. I'll take you to the supervisor."

"Thanks."

Jeanne gave a nod to Shirou, then moved her eyes towards Matou Sakura. The poor girl was wiping unshedded tears out of her eyes. So much stress in the morning already, and Jeanne might just add another to her plate.

But there was no way around it.

"Matou-san, I'm sorry that this is so sudden, but, do you think the head of your family could spare some time for a visit from me?"

* * *

The phone rang for the third time, but Shirou didn't feel like picking up his pace to receive it. His mind was already in jumbles from information overload, and his gut was telling him that the phone call would only add more knots to the snarl.

He glanced back to his living room where Sakura was having a chat with that Joan girl. From the foreigner's insistence that he receive the timely phone call, it seemed to be another serious, Holy Grail War-related conversation. Only this time, he didn't get involved. It was something about Joan wanting to see the head of Matou family, which as far as he knew, was Shinji's and Sakura's grandfather whom he never met.

 _If Sakura is a mage, then is her grandfather too? What about Shinji? Is his disappearance related to the Holy Grail War, somehow?_

"Whoa-!"

He nearly tripped over a hole in the floor, courtesy of Saber's sword slashes from last night.

 _"Careful, Master. I know you have a lot of thoughts to sort through, but better do so when you're not walking,"_ Assassin's voice intruded into his head as he reoriented his footing.

"Y-Yeah... guess the whole thing is really getting to me now..."

 _"I understand. Just try to stay focused, all right?"_

He nodded at his intangible companion and resumed his walk. His hand managed to take up the phone receiver just in time before the fifth ring sounded.

"Hello?"

 **"Yo, dude! Where the hell are you!? You're about an hour late, man!"**

Shirou blinked. The frantic and furious hissings from the other end of the line belonged to Mitsuzuri Ayako, his schoolmate and friend. He fell silent, trying to remember if he had made a promise with her or something. It was Sunday morning, though, there shouldn't be anything on his schedule other than-

...

"... Oh."

 **"Finally rembering you responsibilities, huh, vice-captain?"**

His palm met his forehead with a healthy smack. Archery club held morning practice every Sunday. As the vice-captain and senior member, he had the important task to oversee the process and guide the juniors through their learning process.

And here he was.

"Oh, jeez... I'm sorry, Mitsuzuri... things have been... hectic, lately."

 **"Huh? Hectic? I think you were pretty okay yesterday, though. Wait, is it your hand? Your injured hand? Don't tell me you got tetanus or something..."**

"Er... no. Thankfully, that's not the case here."

This could be worse than tetanus. A hell lot worse.

 **"Well then, screw you man, can you go to practice today or not?"**

"I... uh, I'm sorry again, but I got some business in town. Some really important stuff."

 **"Don't tell me it's a date."**

"No! It's not!"

 **"Damn it, you jerk... can you spare like ten minutes to drop by?"**

Shirou frowned. Mitsuzuri sounded kind of desperate. He had often heard that way of talking from people who were hesitant to ask him for a favor. Not his archery club captain, though. She bossed him around, never pleading. Not very often, at least.

"What happened?"

 **"Fujimura-sensei hasn't had her breakfast."**

"... Shit."

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE**

 **For a chapter titled 'Smiles in the Morning' there sure weren't a lot of happy stuff here...**

 **Between this update and the last, many things have happened. My favorite shows finished their run, Camelot is now open for business in NA server, Okita Alter made her debut, my girlfriend accepted my marriage proposal, my flatmate got married, I learned that Jeanne trains dolphins, and the country's political climate is getting more and more disgusting to look at. Some of these things have given me a clearer perspective on the world of FGO and Nasuverse in general, and, well, I'm glad that I've been driving (mostly) in the right track.**

 **\- Despite her name not in the billings, Sakura is now a main character. Her arc has too much potential to be wasted on the sideline.**

 **\- Nah, there is no muderous love triangle on the way. Please rest assured.**

 **\- I completely forgot that I've made Shirou the vice-captain of the archery club. I couldn't even recall what exactly I've planned with that bit, so when it suddenly came back in the middle of writing, I spent way too much time working it in. Let's just say that another important supporting character has been added to the already crowded roster.  
**

 **\- Latest chapter (Understand in Time) suggested that Okita-san had the same problem with A-san in the original FSN: the inability to turn astral. Cool maybe, but when I got to actually writing it, it just doesn't work. Logically she should be bedridden all day due to her sickness and lack of mana supply, which is not a compelling development at all.**

 **\- Then why didn't she know how to go astral last time? Well, since one reviewer noted how adorable that was, let's just say she is just that clueless.**

 **\- Since I did mention Okita Alter, let's put this in stone: we have no room for Majin-san's colossal high-heels in this story. Please be content with your regular blood-puking, less-endowed, and untanned Okita Souji. Though, if you know any fanfic featuring Okitan or are planning to make one, please let me know.**

 **So much talking this chapter. And there is even more on the next one in which the successors of Kiritsugu and Kirei meet and continue what their fathers had started ten years ago (?). Servant battles and other violent delights will have to wait until at least another chapter after that. So... uh, wish me luck on that.**

 **After this, there is some bits that I don't think will be safe for work. Just thread carefully.  
**

* * *

As was agreed on, the metal cart they dubbed as 'taxi' stopped in front of the gate of Matou Residence. Sakura got down from the vehicle with Lancer in tow, and Emiya Shirou also followed.

Still in her spirit form, Lancer glared at the guy. The cause of Sakura's tears and distress from last night until this morning, and he didn't seem to have the slightest clue of what to do about it.

"Hey, Sakura. I, uh... I really thank you for everything. I owe you big time," he said as the two stopped by the gate to bid farewells. Lancer knew from his troubled, unsmiling expression that conversing with Sakura was the least prioritized matter in his mind.

 _After all she has done for you, you can only give her a half-hearted gratitude?_

"It's okay, Senpai," Sakura said. "To see you well and back to health is its own reward."

"H-Huh? That's... that wouldn't do. You deserve something, anything more than just... that."

For once, Lancer agreed with him. Though unfortunately, the thing she deserved was something beyond his reach. Even more so now that he had decided to walk away from the Holy Grail War. A cowardly, weak-willed man, but Lancer thought she couldn't blame him for being such. Heroes and adventurers of old quickly lost their spirits and wits once they discovered the nature of Shapeless Isle. Maybe it was the same with Emiya Shirou being revealed the dark corner of the world of magecraft.

On the other hand, Sakura was smiling shyly at the boy's words. "Well, if you think so... I think there's one thing you can give me, Senpai."

"What is it?"

"A promise. Promise me that you wouldn't get involved in something dangerous again. Your intention of wanting to stop the Holy Grail War... if the supervisor at the church deems that impossible, please just resign and forget about it. Don't force it, and more importantly, don't force yourself."

"... Sakura, that's..."

Emiya shook his head as his eyes looked down in confusion.

"From the sound of it, you don't have the intention of getting out of this madness either, Sakura."

Lancer scoffed. Typical of men. When their pride debated, shift to the other matter. Gods and men, all the same.

"You haven't promised me, Senpai."

"What is it that you want? Is there something that you can't have without the power of the Grail?"

 _Yes, there is. Something deeper than your darkest imagining. Something she desperately pursues while hiding it from you._

"... Winning the Grail is my duty, Senpai... I can't... I can't just give it up..."

"But it's not about giving up! It's your life and many others that are at stakes here!"

Trace of smile and easiness had all but gone from Sakura's face. Her lips quivered trying to hold her expression together from breaking.

"Sakura..." Emiya Shirou began, too late in regretting what he had said. Lancer wanted him to shut up forever. Why couldn't he realize he had been tormenting Sakura the whole time?

"Let's... let's discuss this another time, Senpai. You still have many important things to do today, and I have to... I need to see my grandfather..."

Sakura couldn't take it anymore after that, as she quickly turned heel and headed into the house. Lancer remained in place, preparing to materialize and scare Emiya Shirou away should he dare to follow.

"... damn it..." he hissed, his fists clenched. His feet wavered, hesitating to go after Sakura, but eventually he turned away. Closing the gate, he went back to the taxi with a complicated expression upon his face. He entered the car, and soon its engine roared and it was ready to go.

From the roof of the vehicle, Assassin, sitting cross-legged, waved her hand cheerfully as they sped away. Lancer almost returned it before catching herself.

 _"If he does resign from this war, that annoying woman will be gone too..."_

Assassin was too obnoxious, too eager to touch, too much trying to act like a friend rather than the enemy she should be. Someone like that, like Emiya Shirou, would be better off not competing in the war. Like Emiya's resignation would be a peace to Sakura's mind, so would Assassin's to Lancer.

The car left the suburban street, disappearing over the crossroad five blocks over. Lancer turned back to her Master-

"...!"

-and was immediately alerted by her slumping form against the door.

"Sakura!" without further thinking, Lancer materialized and ran to her Master's side.

"... Lancer...?"

The girl was half-conscious and feverish, her eyes lifeless and unfocused as she tried to reach out to her Servant.

"This is... mana exhaustion?"

Her brows furrowed, Lancer tried to focus on her connection to Sakura. It was oddly normal; mana was flowing steadily from the magus' body into hers, maintaining her body. But then... these symptoms - fever, cold sweat, ragged breathing, pale skin...

"... Those things... they consume you..." she said in realization, her voice trembling. "They're not merely makeshift magic crests, they're parasites!"

"Take me... to grandfather... please, Lancer..."

Sakura's plea was like a bucket of ice water instantly gushed over her back. Sakura's grandfather, that... that rotten abomination...

"... All right," Lancer said. She worked quickly, carrying Sakura over her back and kicking the door open. No time to look for keys or anything like that. Now with her being in physical form, Sakura's magic circuits was running full throttle, depleting the girl's mana and may soon threaten to drain her life force.

"Magus! Old magus of Matou! Show yourself!" Lancer shouted as she strode in and looked around frantically. The inside of Matou residence was dim even though it was nearing midday outside.

"Sakura needs your help! Come out!"

"I expect a more respectful manner from you, o great hero," an old voice rasped. "My granddaughter's merely exhausted, no need to panic."

"You... you demon!"

The patriarch of Matou family stood in the dark corner of the front hall, untouched by light. To normal human's eyes he'd look like a vague shape of an old man blended with the darkness, but to Lancer, his eldritch form was plain to see. The bulging movements under his gray, dead skin. The unnatural lines over his flesh as though his body would just collapse in pieces. The muddle of foul curses holding his decayed soul together, twisting and corrupting the air even as he did nothing but standing still.

How much had this... thing taken, consumed, stolen, over centuries to keep itself alive?

Had this been in any other situation, Lancer would have turned that thing to stone and grind it to dust right then.

"You can't lie to me! Sakura's life is in danger, and it's because of those things inside her! Call them out of her, magus!"

The magus laughed. "Haven't you understand yet, child, that Sakura's very existence is connected to me? She is my tool and she had one duty to perform. Until she brought the Grail to me, I'm afraid I cannot release her. Worry not, though; I wouldn't let her die. Just bring her to the place where she summoned you to have a day's rest and she'll be up and about again to take you out for another walk."

Lancer felt as though her chest just dropped down into her stomach. Her summoning chamber. A pit seemingly designed to resemble the depth of thanatos itself, with hungry flesh worms and rabid man-eating insects crawling over every spot...

"You dare threaten my Master's life in front of me!? I'll let you taste mortality at last, bits by bits!"

"Kah! You're such a naive child! I only told you the simple, plain truth. The only way for her to be purified of my blood is through the Grail. Only my wish for eternity would truly set her free. Killing me now would do nothing but to end her life as well."

"What...?"

"It doesn't matter if you don't believe it, baby Servant. Despite everything, this old, rotten soul, still does care about his granddaughter. I want her to continue to live. So, bring her down to the underground chamber. Quickly, before she lost consciousness. My familiars hates to help her if she couldn't feel it."

Her feet froze, rooted to the spot. Lancer couldn't move, the weight of Sakura's body suddenly increased hundred folds. She looked back and forth between the evil magus and his limp granddaughter, unable to decide on what to do.

"It's okay, Lancer..." Sakura said weakly. "It's the only way..."

Through the pain, against her fading consciousness, Sakura smiled at her. Reassuring her.

"... All right."

* * *

\- _Her Salvation is in Here_ -

Perhaps it wouldn't be as bad as she thought it would be? Perhaps what Sakura's grandfather had said about 'a day's rest' was just that, a time to rest. As she tried to convince herself, Lancer carried Sakura to the underground chamber. Down several halls, under several hidden doors, then descended down stony stairs.

"No," Medusa halt her step as she whispered.

The moment they heard her and Sakura coming, the inhabitants of the hidden hell stirred to full wakeness. They screeched, they moved, they came out of every holes and crevices. Hordes and hordes of them; worms and insects covered in slimes and all kind of foul odors. Soon the whole floor was filled with them, their mouth chomping at air, demanding to be fed.

"No. There has to be another way..." Medusa said, her feet beginning to inch back.

"This is the only way, Lancer," said Sakura, next to her ear. Her body was trembling. "This is the only way... for me..."

Medusa didn't have to look to know that tears had flowed down from Sakura's eyes. Tears of fear. Tears of shame. Tears of despair.

"Just... just lay me down here, they'll take me..."

"No..." Medusa said. It came out as a sob.

"Ah... hah..."

Letting out a pained moan, Sakura's body slumped down. Medusa held her firm, determined to never let go. She'd take her out of here, out of this hell...

And she smelled something. Down from between Sakura's thighs.

"You're... you're wetting yourself..."

But the smell, it was too queer. She had a really bad feeling about it.

"This is her only hope for salvation, Servant," the voice of Matou's head resounded from the walls. "Let my familiars do their job, or her mind will soon break. I have no need for broken tool."

Her mind would break? So she'd lost herself? Her personality, her thinking process, her cpacity for living. Unable to do anything ever again, unable to speak, unable to smile...

"Give my granddaughter the chance to save herself, Lancer. Don't let her lose it. Haha. Hahahahahahaha!"

Medusa could imagine the sneer on his wrinkled face. His laughter echoed by the familiars with their teeth-chattering and screeching. Gently, she laid Sakura down upon the stone floor.

"You will get out of here. You will live happily, with Shirou... with whoever you want to be..." Medusa said as she took a step back. Her voice sounded hollow, even to her own ears. But they were her oath. The duty she had imposed upon herself as Sakura's Servant.

Sakura let out a soft, delirious chuckle.

"Senpai doesn't love me... not in the way I love him... he doesn't love me... he doesn't..."

The girl continued to laugh even as her tears ran dry. Worms had gathered under her and they wriggled, holding up and bringing her body onto the middle of the bottom floor like a river carrying a fallen leave.

The girl's smile didn't fade even as the familiars squirmed all over her, drowning her slowly. Their teeth tore her clothes to bits before digging into her flesh. More than a few of them slithered and buzzed around her feet, steadily climbing up.

And all Medusa could do was listen.

* * *

Next Chapter:

\- _Difference in View_ -


	9. Difference in Views

**Hi, I'm back from hiatus. Details are further below, if you care to find out. Now let's get on with the chapter. Fair warning though: 'tis a long one with lots of expositions. I mean, LOTS.**

 **Characters and settings featured in this story belong to Type-Moon and affiliated companies. By the way, Gray-chan is cute.**

* * *

Only half an hour left before the end of today's practice, so thought Mitsuzuri Ayako as she flexed her neck. The crackling sound it made was so satisfying. _God, I'm so spent_.

With the dependable vice-captain and the most reliable junior absent, she had to take care of everything for today's regular weekly practice all by herself. Namely, watching out for everyone – especially the clumsy freshmen, seeing to their complaints and whines (there were a lot), and making sure that their club advisor didn't go overboard about anything.

"You there! If you keep leaning on the bow like that, I'll break it over your shin myself!"

"S-Sorry, Ma'am!"

Ayako let out a groan before she could help herself. _Damn it_. The last one of the aforementioned tasks was especially tricky since said club advisor hadn't taken any sustenance before getting here, and a hungry Fujimura Taiga evolved into a pain-in-the- neck Fujimura Taiga very quickly and for painfully long time too. As for why Ayako had to deal with a hungry Fujimura Taiga to begin with, well, the tiger had counted on Emiya to bring her breakfast like usual, but unfortunately, the zookeeper was nowhere to be seen. _The nerve of that idiot, I'll make him pay._

"What are you even coming here for!? Is it not to train your body into shape!? Well, tell you what, if it's not archery you're shaping your body with, I can show you another way! Wanna see!? Huh!? Huh!?"

"W-We're sorry, Sensei...!"

"Sorry!? I don't need your apology!"

 _Okay, then_. Ayako had hoped that it was just a short, loud, but ultimately harmless scolding, but now that hope had ran to the corner and cried in fetal position. She had to put an end to this commotion before it evolved into a scandalous matter.

"Sensei!"

"Yes, Mitsuzuri-san?" the recently furious woman asked innocently after Ayako called her out. The abruptness of it gave Ayako a pause. She should have gotten used to the mood-swings by now, but she still found it more than a little unsettling.

"Sensei, please don't joke about such stuff to the new guys, you'll only scare them away. They couldn't tell if you're being serious or not. "

"Well, I was serious!"

"Right, right. Haha, that's a good one, but you're needed over there, Sensei. Leave this matter to me, okay?"

After a bit more prodding, Fujimura-sensei agreed to let it slide and leave, but not before giving the freshman a 'Imma watchin' ya' gesture with her fingers. He flinched.

Ayako shook her head at that. She gave the poor freshman an apologetic nod along with a pat to the shoulder. He returned it with a smile and a slight blush. She smiled back.

That was one job done pretty well. Moments later, Ayako was about to line up the last group of shooters when a female freshman suddenly ran to her carrying a stack of lunch boxes.

"Uh, excuse me, Captain, Vice-captain Emiya told me to hand these over to you…" she said shyly, holding out the boxes. "He said that everyone should enjoy it together."

Ayako blinked. "Emiya's here!?"

The girl jumped in fright. "I-I met him outside when I washed my face earlier-"

"Where is he now!?"

"He said he got to go so he left-"

"Excuse me, Aizawa-san" Ayako said to the girl. "Everybody, take a break!"

The group who were ready to shoot groaned at her declaration and more than a few curious looks were sent her way. She ignored them. All Ayako cared about at the moment was to find Emiya Shirou and kick his ass to tomorrow. Aizawa's horrified scream following what sounded like Fujimura-sensei lunging at lunch boxes was unheard as the captain sprinted out of the dojo.

It wasn't hard at all to find Emiya. The rascal was on his way to the school gate straight across the yard instead of sneaking through the main building. His gait was slow, like he didn't just do anything that might offend anybody.

Well, he totally did, and Ayako would love to tell him how offended she was feeling.

"Emiya! Stop right there, you dickhead!"

She dashed after him. If he chose to flee, she'd tackle him down without question, any fallout be damned. She had never felt betrayed like this before. Not from him.

"Ah, Mitsuzuri…"

The idiot gave her a blank look, a troubled expression. For that split-second Ayako's pace slowed in hesitation. However, her irritation weighed way more than the spark of concern, and as soon as she got close enough, she spilled the contents of hell all over him.

"What's up, vice-captain!? Got somewhere to go!? So in a hurry that you can't even say hello? Are you planning to do something dumb today!?"

Emiya grimaced. "I already did, I think."

"What?!"

"Look, I'm sorry, Captain," he said. "I can't tell you why, but I really have to skip practice for today. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"I don't need your apology or promise, idiot! I want an explanation! Is this what you mean when you said you're going to fix it? By smuggling in food and then scampering like some kind of discount Robin Hood?"

"Mitsuzuri, I…"

"You're an idiot!"

"… I suppose I am…"

Ayako let out a long sigh of disappointment. Looking at his eyes, which were unable to stare back toward hers, Emiya looked remorseful enough that she could no longer berate him. It was always like this with him since they first met; he and his child-like doe eyes.

It was too unfair.

"Is it something sudden and urgent?"

"Yes… I mean, sort of…"

"So much so that you couldn't tell me ahead of time?"

"... That's right. I'm sorry."

"Stop saying sorry, idiot. Now I feel like an idiot myself. I thought something happened to you…" she said quietly, quieter than she had intended.

"… Huh?"

"You've heard about it, right? People all over the city going missing... I thought nothing of it at first, but then I learned that family next door's oldest son didn't come home since Friday night, but the parents act like nothing's wrong… it's just weird…"

"So that's why you tried to talk me out of going to work yesterday…"

Ah, that. She had wondered if it weirded him out, her talking like his caretaker.

"F-Forget that. Did this urgent thing come up after your shift? Last night, then?"

"Yeah, it was pretty late… sorry- I mean, thanks, Mitsuzuri."

"Thanks?"

"For… for worrying about me?"

Ayako shifted her gaze to the side, embarrassment creeping up her face. "O-Of course I'd be worried if you don't show up. Imagine if you were gone, what will happen to the club? I can't handle those crybabies all by myself, damn it. Do you know how they went, 'Where's Emiya-senpai?', 'I want to train with Emiya-senpai', 'The Captain sucks', et cetera?"

He flashed a smile. She must be pouting right now, her expression betraying her self-control. _Fine, I'll allow it_. It was a weak smile tinged with whatever it was that plagued his mind, but the brooding bastard before her began to look like the usual Emiya. She could endure some more embarrassment if it could get her vice-captain back to normal.

"Stop that, you're a much better trainer than I could ever be, Mitsuzuri," he said, scratching his cheek awkwardly.

"You bet I am," she puffed up her chest for emphasis. "But I'm sure our members would benefit greatly if the ace would routinely give them examples and some pointers from time to time."

"The ace… the hell is that, I'm no such thing…"

"Nobody around here rocks archery better than you do, so yeah, you're our ace, like it or not," she said, jabbing his shoulder lightly. He hissed immediately, clutching the spot she just touched.

"Huh? Are you hurt?"

"I-I'm fine…!"

Emiya was the worst liar ever.

"Open your jacket, let me see it."

"S-See what?"

"Your shoulder."

His lack of immediate response was telling. His eyes cast low, his face twisted to form a grim scowl. Ayako shook her head.

"Dude…"

"Mitsuzuri, I…"

"Look, there's no way you can get out of here without giving me any explanation now."

"I… I can't…"

"Show me. Your shoulder."

Emiya glanced around like asking for another people's opinion even though there were nobody else but the two of them here. Eventually he began to undo his jacket and revealed his shoulder. His very much injured shoulder. Just looking at it made Ayako wince.

"… Damn. Is that… a slash wound? But… what the hell is that black thing, stitches?"

"I swear this isn't as bad as it looks," said Emiya, putting his jacket back on. "Doesn't hurt as much as last night…"

He stopped to clamp his big mouth closed, the idiot. It was too late. Ayako was already in no bullshit mode again before he realized it.

"It's settled then. Wherever it is you're planning to go, now you're going to the hospital. And you're not going alone. I'll see if Fujimura-sensei's willing to go with us."

"... Us? Wait, there… there's no need-"

"After you tried to skedaddle without a word, hiding a big wound? Yes, there's definitely a need to keep eyes on you."

"Why are you agreeing with her?!" Emiya suddenly snapped at the empty air to his left. "Ah! No, that was… uh…"

"Yup. Hospital it is."

"No! Not hospital! Not with you, not with anybody!"

"Emiya, stop being weird."

"I'm not being weird!"

Seriously, what the hell happened? Did he get mugged? Attacked by some maniacs? Ayako's imagination began to scare herself.

"Look, dude-"

"Emiya-kun!"

Ayako tilted her head as Emiya's body became stiff as stone. That was an unfamiliar voice. An unfamiliar voice of a girl. Or a woman. From over Emiya's shoulder, Ayako spotted somebody running into the school ground. Someone with long blond hair.

"... A foreigner? Did she just call you by name?"

"Err…" was all Emiya was willing to give.

The foreigner came near them and smiled at her, and Ayako's breath was caught.

She was very pretty, was Ayako's first thought. Healthy white skin, long braided silk-smooth hair, and a pair of captivating eyes the color of amethyst. Whoa, did her thoughts just go shoujo manga there?

And she was quick to stand by Emiya's side, too. So very shoujo manga-ish.

 _Wait. What the hell?_

"Is there a trouble? I think the driver's getting tired of waiting," the foreigner spoke in perfectly understandable Japanese. What the hell again.

"Uh… Eh… no, everything's fine…"

Emiya stammered, unable to look at the blonde in the eyes.

 _Seriously, dude…_

"Oh, hello," the foreigner girl said, attention shifting to Ayako. Ayako felt the corner of her lips twitching. _W-What do I say? Should I speak in English?!_

"H-Hi…! Mourning!"

"Uh, good morning to you too. I'm really sorry to interrupt, but we really need to leave. There's a really important matter that Emiya-kun has to attend to. If there's more you need to talk with him, can you please make it quick?"

"... Who are you?"

"S-She's Joan-san. I met her… uh, last night- I mean, yesterday-!"

"Last night?!"

"Ah, please don't misunderstand…"

"Wait, wait, wait, isn't that shirt yours, Emiya? Emiya, this girl's wearing your clothes."

"Yes, I know! But please listen to me! There's a very good reason for this-!"

"Really? Okay. Let's hear it."

"Emiya-kun, wait," the foreigner panicked. "You can't just tell anyone about it!"

"But…"

Ayako had no patience left. "Tell me about what!? What the hell happened last night!?"

"Oi, Mitsuzuri-saaan? What's going on? Why are you out here?"

Like it couldn't get anymore like a TV drama, another voice interrupted. Ayako gave a quick glance behind her shoulder and sighed tiredly.

Emiya's shoulders went slack as well. "Fuck my life…"

"Emiya-kun! Language!"

"Fuck language…"

The girl gasped in horror, but Ayako had to agree with him on this one. His life got to be changing for the worse at any moment now, as from the dojo, Fujimura Taiga and the whole damn club had come out and headed their way.

"Fujimura-sensei-" Ayako began, but was immediately cut off.

"Yo, what's up? Shirou, when did you get here? Who's this?" Fujimura-sensei launched a direct consecutive attacks, arms crossed as she eyed the three of them very sharply.

"Hello, Fuji-Nee- I mean, Fujimura-sensei…" Emiya said, then whispered to the air, "yes, she's kinda like a sister to me, now shut up."

Ookay. It's not just his hand and shoulder. Something definitely hit him in the head, too..

Fujimura-sensei narrowed her eyes. "Don't hello me, young man. Explain yourself. Quickly."

"I really don't know where to begin…"

"Emiya-kun, let me talk to your friends," said the foreigner.

"Huh? I thought we can't just tell them everything?"

"We don't need to."

"Eh? … okay…"

Ayako raised her eyebrows as the foreigner girl ( _what did Emiya say her name was? Jean, or Joan, I think?_ ) stepped ahead and stood to face them all, smiling like a TV reporter. Ayako looked back awkwardly and found similarly confused looks from the other members of the archery club, mostly from the girls. Most of the boys were busily ogling the odd foreigner. Fujimura-sensei looked battle-ready.

"Good day, everyone. I'm sorry to tell you, but Emiya Shirou-kun is unable to join you for today's practice because he has some important business in town. I assure you that he's not going to do anything bad or dangerous, so please don't worry and don't make any crazy story about this."

At first she found it weird, the way the girl just straight up asking it without any explanation. But Ayako couldn't help thinking that this blonde she just met was a trustworthy person. Emiya was in good hands.

"Okay, if you say so, he can go, I guess. But he's the vice-captain, he has responsibility to this club," said Ayako.

"I'm sure there's a way for Emiya-kun to make up for his absence, isn't there?"

Saying so, she glanced at Emiya who had seemed more than a little lost, surprising him. "Uh, yeah, I… I'll do anything…" he said, "I can… uh, I can clean the dojo after school, everyday, for a whole week. Eh? Wait, what-?"

"Would that be an agreeable trade?" the foreigner was quick to pounce. "I think it's a suitable punishment for an unprecedented absence."

Ayako nodded. It made sense, as well as satisfying. Ditch the dojo, have to clean the dojo. The other members seemed to agree as well, based on what she caught in their chatters.

"Hmm, all right. That's acceptable," said Fujimura-sensei, nodding sagely.

"There's no problem anymore, then, Emiya-kun?" the foreigner asked to the idiot looking lost behind her, like she was his lawyer or something. For his part, the defendant could only scratch his head, looking so completely done with everything.

"Yeah, that's... great."

* * *

 **Fate of Black and Crimson**

 **- _Difference in Views_ -**

* * *

Deep in the forest north of Fuuyuki, stood a massive European castle straight out of fantasy books, complete with tall walls and round towers. The castle was made of stones as ancient as the lineage of magi who had built it, etched with charms and protections to keep it from normal human's view. Even though one or two lucky individual happen to stumble upon it, all they could ever tell was nonsensical tales full of holes and inconsistencies.

Alas, an ancient castle in a forest hidden by arcane arts was supposed to belong to higher forms of enigma that the world of magecraft had to offer.

This morning, that very enigma walked out of her study with a yawn and unkempt bed hair. Outside her door, a pair of individuals in matching clothes awaited her.

"You two have prepared my bath, I assume? I'm expecting a good breakfast right after that."

"Of course, Milady/Lady Illya."

Illyasviel's two maids answered and bowed their heads in unison. Illya nodded in satisfaction as she began to head to the bathroom, passing between the duo. Following her, the elder of the two, Sella, spoke after exchanging glances with the younger, Leysritt. "If we may ask, Lady Illyasviel. What have you been researching the entire night yesterday?"

Illya didn't really want to explain it since it would be a long lecture, but she could use some venting right now. She began to explain as she walked.

"Apparently, my progenitor had designed a second additional Servant, other than Avenger."

"Second additional Servant?"

Leysritt's question went unanswered. Illya continued to speak as if without a care for her two maids.

"This Servant, Ruler, while benevolent, is a sign that something is happening to the Grail. It is changing in a way I haven't seen yet."

"For better or worse, milady?"

"When it comes to the Grail, any change at all means a bad one. I don't like this. I've been preparing my whole life for this war, whatever disturbance that may have occurred, we must remove it immediately."

"We, Lady Illya?"

"That would be me and Ruler. Ruler's job is to make sure that the Grail remained as it should. In this regards, hers and my interest aligns. After this annoyance is gone, however..." Illya trailed off solemnly, and not because she enjoyed creating drama.

Ruler. Beatiful blonde in armor. An old memory resurfaced in Illya's mind after she met the irregular eighth Servant. She remembered of seeing a similar person looking out from behind the window of Einzbern Castle's tower ten years ago. Kiritsugu's Servant and Mother's sworn protector. A Servant whom Grandfather had boasted to be the very best there was, the strongest, their guaranteed victory.

That Servant turned out to be nothing more than a betrayer. If it weren't for that Servant, her family would have obtained the Grail, and perhaps...

"Milady, what's the matter?"

"What would you do with Ruler after the investigation's over?"

Sella and Leysritt's questions put a stop to Illya's train of thoughts. The girl quickly shook her head, dismissing what remained of them off her mind. Thinking about what could have been was a waste of time.

"There's no way to be sure if Ruler will let the Holy Grail continue once she finds out its true nature, which, considering what we're about to do, is an inevitability."

The two maids went silent.

"It's exactly as you boh are thinking. Once the disturbance to the Great Grail is resolved, I'll eliminate Ruler."

"Milady... does a Ruler-class have an edge over other Servants...?"

Illya's eyes narrowed. "Are you doubting the strength of my Berserker?"

Sella stammered. "O-Of course not, milady! However, we couldn't help but worry, since it's a special Servant-class we've never learned about. If Ruler is specifically created to protect the Holy Grail, they should logically be gifted with abilities no other Servant has..."

"Well, in that thinking, you are correct," Illya said, sighing in annoyance. "Rulers can temporarily gain control over other Servants with command seals of their own."

They've reached the bathroom. The two maids readily opened the doors for their lady and Illya entered gracefully. The castle's bathroom was as large as its dining room, the pool located in its far side, right under a large, open window. The floor and wall were covered in polished marble, cool to touch but could be easily heaten up with a simple spell.

Steams rose from the water in the pool, and Illya smiled in satisfaction at that. As she began disrobing, she carried on, "This Ruler is weak, however. Weaker that what she's supposed to be. My Berserker can kill her off easily, and quickly."

As she gathered Illya's discarded clothes, Sella asked, "Milady, what about her command seals you were talking about earlier?"

"It might be potent enough to work, but Berserker is mine," Illya said as she climbed up and dove into the pool. The hot water felt pleasant to her skin. "If Ruler dared to take him away from me for even a moment, I'll make her suffer. I know how."

"It's good to hear, Lady Illya," Leysritt said as she began to spread body soap over Illya's back. "Just like what you planned to do to... that man's son, I assume?"

The Einzbern Master giggled. She splashed water over her face.

"Oh, yes! I can't wait to see him today!" her eyes gleamed in excitement. "There are soo many things I want to tell you, Onii-chan..."

* * *

Shirou sneezed.

"Blessed you," said Joan.

"... Thanks."

After the brief stop at school, the trip to the church continued. Shirou had spent it in contemplative silence. Like with everything else that had happened since last night until now, he couldn't quite decide on what to think. Too many things revealed, yet very little, if not nothing at all, made sense. The Holy Grail War, the fact that he was now involved in it, the fact that Sakura had been involved in it...

 _Now there's her to add to the list._

He stole a glance at the blonde woman sitting alongside him, his latest source of unrest and confusion. She was leaning against the back seat, eyes looking out the window towards the view of Mion River. What she was thinking, he couldn't even guess.

Ruler. Joan of Arc. From the moment he first met her, he had thought she was a trustworthy person. Anything she said, he was sure it was true without question.

 _But it's not just me. Anything she says, anyone will believe. Is that how she managed to lead the French army under her banner hundreds of years ago? Some kind of telepsychic power...? Okay, get a grip Shirou, don't start assuming things..._

 _"Ah, ain't she the prettiest, eh, Master? This Joan-san with her golden locks… "_ Assassin's voice intruded his mind again. _"When you see those exquisite amethyst eyes as they are reflected in the glass window, you can't help but wonder what is occupying her mind at the moment. Are you in there? Is she happy to find you?"_

"Were you a poet, back in your lifetime?" he asked in whisper, averting his gaze away from Joan before his thoughts start to get flooded with impolite images. As it was slowly becoming a habit, he also thought: _damn it, Assassin_.

 _"Heheh, nope. Keep guessing, okay? Anyway, your reaction reminds me of my old comrade. Are you perhaps his descendant?"_

Shirou blinked, curious. "Who's it you're talking about?"

 _"This guy I'm talking about is… a demon. Crazed for blood in battlefields, merciless to his students, and an absolute lust machine in brothels."_

"... Oh, thank you, he sounds like such a charming fellow. I'm very flattered, to be thought of as his kin."

 _"Haha! That deadpan response is just so like him, too."_

"I think it's just how anyone would act when dealing with you."

 _"Oh-ho, so sharp the tongue of my Master. This humble Assassin shall take your words as a medal of honor. Though really, Master, it's not just the charming way you convey sarcasm. There's another thing about you that reminds me of him."_

"What?"

 _"It's how he care for his companions. If a strange barbarian woman suddenly appears out of nowhere and convinces his friends to believe some nonsense with words alone, he'd surely draw his sword and demand her head."_

Shirou blinked in surprise.

 _Huh. She noticed._

"Would this friend of yours call the strange barbarian woman a witch?" Joan asked, not looking away from the window as she did so.

 _"Nah, he hates superstitious stuff, so he'd pick a less demeaning nickname. For a girl like you, well, he'd say things like 'Milady' or 'Princess'."_

"Sounds like a charming fellow, indeed," Joan commented. Shirou could imagine her winking at him for that one.

Shirou blinked again, now in confusion as he realized the implication stemming from that thought. "Huh? You heard that? I mean, what Assassin said..."

 _"Master, she can always hear what I say. Out loud or in whisper."_

"Oh, really… Haha…"

So, all those silly exchanges between Assassin and him… she knew.

Joan turned to him and Shirou immediately regretted the fact that his face was naturally very reactive. To be looked at by such a pretty girl when your mouth was gaping like a goldfish's, the shame was immense. It got worse as she made a small, almost sheepish smile.

"Ah, well, forgive me for not seeing the problem sooner, Emiya-kun. It must have been disturbing to see your friends very easily agreed with me earlier. I need to assure you, however, that what I did wasn't some form of hypnotism or brainwashing art. They are fully aware of what has happened, though they have completely accept that your absence wasn't something they should worry about."

He wondered if this was yet another example of magic. She didn't just say that to convince him, somehow he knew, no, his mind told him so. Was this truly him thinking so, or was it whatever power she had that compel his mind to make that conclusion? Still, his worries aside, Joan had been doing her best to help him so far. The least he could do was to ease up on the suspicion and lighten up the mood between them.

"So I still have to clean up the dojo?" he tried to crack a joke.

She giggled. "Yes, they would remember that one. Please don't betray their trust, Emiya-kun, I can tell that they care so much about you."

"I'm not planning to do that," he said with a chuckle. He leaned back on his seat, stretching his feet. "I suppose I can't blame anyone. Except Assassin."

 _"Eeehh? Why me?"_ the invisible girl whined.

"You suggested it to me."

 _"You own the mouth that said it out loud!"_

"You could have picked an easier chore for me."

 _"Hmph! Youth nowadays… let me tell you, Master, back when I was still in training, the punishment for being tardy was to scrub clean the whole dojo floor and every equipment with your hands and feet tied behind your back every single day until the moon finished a cycle! Your punishment is but a mere child's play to us warriors of the past!"_

"... You lived in a really interesting time, didn't you?"

 _"Oh? Curious about my life, now?"_

"Not really."

 _"Aww, don't be so reserved. Come on, just ask this humble Assassin nicely, and she'll give you interesting answers~"_

"... What's so humble about you again?"

 _"Heheh, the fact that I am chosen as an Assassin despite wielding a sword should explain it already! I like to keep my profile low, hiding my true prowess until the time to unleash it come!"_

Shirou snorted out a suppressed laughter. He had thought that this trip would be a quiet one, a place for silent reflection. Yet before he knew it, even after knowing that Joan could hear them, he couldn't help himself from shooting back to Assassin's rambles. And now he just got another ammo to load his gun with.

"I see. So that's how you Servants work. Saber shoots lightning from her sword, that's why she's Saber. Your sword is normal and humble, so you're Assassin."

 _"Wha- No! That's not what the classification is based on! Swords aren't supposed to shoot lightning to begin with!"_

Shirou tried not to smirk. With the frantic way Assassin was speaking, he could almost imagine her flustered face. Having an invisible friend started to feel like fun.

"Then why aren't you a Saber even though you fight with a sword?"

 _"That's because… uh…"_

"Saber is the better swordsman?"

 _"T-That's… that's not… uh… ugh… uwaaaahhh... m-my Master is such a meanie! Meaner than Hiji- that demon! How many girls do you have to make cry until you're satisfied, Master!? Uwaaaahhh!"_

"Eh!? Y-you're crying!? I- I was just teasing you! Sorry!"

From the side, Joan let out another giggle. "The two of you are getting along well. More like friends than Master and Servant," she commented.

 _"Is it not good?"_ Assassin suddenly stopped wailing, earning a 'hey!' from Shirou, which she ignored. _"If anything, Sakura-dono acts like Lancer-chan's doting mother. You want to scold a pair, scold them."_

"No, it's not a bad thing at all. I'm glad to see good people bonding together. If all the other Masters are like that, who knows? Perhaps the Holy Grail War can be resolved peacefully, after all."

Shirou crossed his arms and huffed. Joan might be willing to let him proceed with his plan, but it was clear that she thought it was a futile idea. Was it really such a ridiculous idea that someone was trying to put a stop to an ugly bloodshed in the city he lived in? Was 'living peacefully' so hard a concept for these mages and Servants to grasp? And the person he was about to see, the supervisor, how would she react to his idea? Another dismissal?

 _"Ah, Master, there you go brooding again. It's attracting bad luck to scowl so much when you're surrounded by pretty girls, you know?"_

"Something wrong, Emiya-kun?"

"No. Not really… just thinking of how to clearly explain what I want to do to the supervisor..." he said. "Hey, what kind of person is she?"

Joan tapped her chin in thinking before answering. "Her name's Caren Hortensia. She is a bit… aloof, I think? Not the most naturally nice person, if I may say, but she is very serious about her job and is thorough in giving me assistance.."

"Is that so…"

That description sounded very much like a certain teacher in his school. The one that Fuji-Nee said to be hiding a secret, that he was secretly a master of some deadly martial arts. It was scarily the more plausible one among all of her nonsenses.

He was also the kind of man who wouldn't change his mind no matter what. If you didn't submit your paper in time, it was a failure, no matter what excuses you had. Would Caren Hortensia turn out to be such a person?

 _Caren Hortensia… sounds like a western name… then, Hortensia-san, isn't it?_

 _"Whoa, so this is what a city looks like in this day and age…"_ after a brief silence, Assassin suddenly said in wonder, leading him to look out and see what had caught her attention. They had just crossed the great bridge of Fuyuki. Buildings, shops, roads, vehicles, and crowds of people came like moving pictures. Nothing was particularly interesting to him, though he quickly remembered that Assassin came from Japan in distant past, as confirmed earlier.

It was understandable that everything here would awe her.

 _"What we helped to create with our lives, right, comrades?"_ he heard her whispering to no one in particular. It was a different way of talking compared to the bubbly voice he listened to this whole day. Nor was it the stern and serious voice she had used in the night they were fighting Saber.

There was a genuine melancholy in there, which Shirou felt would be rude of him to intrude. He left Assassin to her own thoughts and asked Joan instead.

"When are we getting there?"

"Not for long," she answered, then said, "Try not to make this one upset, okay? And no more bad word either!"

Shirou smiled wryly. With the way his interactions with girls had gone since yesterday, he was already determined to do better this time. It couldn't be worse than a girl in armor trying to kill him with a greatsword, could it?

"I'll try," he said, smiling. Joan smiled back at him, then continued to look out the window and enjoy the outside view.

Nothing else to do, Shirou followed her example. The car had just passed through the central district of the town and now reach the eastern suburban area. Western style houses lined up over the sides of the street. Several people could be seen passing by the sidewalk, but none of them caught his eyes. He still hoped he could find Shinji.

"He's not... missing, isn't he?"

Missing. Now that reminded him of what Mitsuzuri had told him. People went missing in this town these past few days with none around them were the wiser. Could it have something to do with the Holy Grail? Had he been killed by Saber the previous night, would that count as 'missing', too? The thought sent shivers down his back.

"It's right on top of that hill over there, Emiya-kun. Our destination."

Saying so, Ruler pointed out the window, towards a small hill at the far end of the city. Shirou scooted closer to her to give a peek.

"I'm seeing it. That's what a church nowadays looks like, huh?" said Assassin. Shirou still couldn't see it. He would have tried craning his neck some more, if he didn't notice how close his cheek to Joan's chest was at the moment. Heat rapidly creeping up his face, he quickly backed away towards his seat. Thankfully there was nothing funny happened at that moment. The car didn't stumble upon any bump as it climbed the slope.

Which was good, because if it did, his face might just collide against the blonde Servant's large and soft-looking breasts-

Shirou immediately slap his own cheek with as much strength as he could muster.

"I-I'm sorry-!"

"E-Emiya-kun!? W-What is it so suddenly..."

"... N-nothing."

Shirou buried his reddened (for more than one reason) face into his palms. He heard Assassin cackling. _"So you prefer them with big jugs, eh, Master? Yeah, if you're really unrelated to that demon in any shape or form, I'd be eating my sandals."_

He had no retort to that.

* * *

Nothing beat a good cup of tea in her own living room after a good hot bath in her own home. As she took another sip of the drink, Tohsaka Rin wondered where her Servant could have learned to brew tea that suited her taste so well. She recalled her dream from last night, whereupon she was shown scenes of carnage and her Archer in the center of it all. He was a warrior who fought in a great war, it seemed. Now which renowned warrior was it who was famous for his skill in handling domestic matters?

 _Nope. Nothing comes to mind. Not even the slightest clue._

"It's good..." the girl sitting with her in the living room said quietly, her eyes widened in genuine surprise. No matter how Rin tried to perceive it, it was a normal girl across the table. Mashu, that Fujimaru girl called her. Mashu Kyrielight was her full name, according to the voice coming out of that... that air pot thing.

"Archer said thanks for the compliment," said Rin. In his disembodied state somewhere in the room, the Servant sighed.

"Y-your Servant made this...?" Mashu stammered for some reason. "H-he's welcome..."

 **"Hmm, I could really use a cup of hot tea right now, so envious..."** an electronic voice remarked, accompanied by blinking blue lights. The communication device sat on her living room table, easy to miss thanks to its tiny size. Doctor Roman, the owner of the voice it relayed, had agreed to explain everything to Rin earlier. Now all they needed was to wait for Fujimaru to finish her bath and then they could have the discussion about the existence of Servant Shielder and their purpose in this war.

"You don't have tea over there?" Rin asked. _Wherever "there" is._

 _ **"Well, it's not that we don't have tea, the problem is the water, or rather, we have no way to heat the water."**_

"Then what about food?" this time it was Mashu who asked with concern in her voice.

 _ **"Canned rations and protein bars."**_

Mashu looked downcast as she set aside her cup. Now feeling bad for enjoying her tea, Rin wondered where this Doctor Roman was located. If he was in so dire a place where water was cold and foods scarce, why and how did he spare the time to check on the two girls? The more things revealed about this Shielder team, the harder it was to make sense.

 _ **"Oh, dear me, excuse me for a moment. I'm needed somewhere!"**_

Saying so, the talking ball stopped talking. Its blue light no longer blinked as intensely as before.

"What do you think, Archer?" Rin thought.

 _"Better gather more information before we form an opinion, Master."_

Rin rolled her eyes. Archer definitely knew something she didn't, but unwilling to share. The way he seemed to care about those two girls the other night was surprising and suspicious. It wasn't enough to worry her that he might betray her or anything - perhaps he was just being kind, silly as it might be.

If he continued to denied her questions after this, she'd make him talk. One way or another.

"I'm revived!" Shielder's Master shouted out loud as she walked into the living room, dressed in a plain white shirt and sport shorts. She plopped down to the seat next to her Servant, then unceremoniously took a biscuit from the table and ate it in one piece. "Mm, it's good!"

"S-Senpai!" Mashu tried to chide her Master. But it fell on deaf ears.

"Hm, what's up?" Fujimaru Ritsuka asked, her legs went up the sofa to fold in cross position. Rin frowned.

 _Whoa, this girl... acting like she's familiar with this house already..._

"Fou!"

Rin was about to make a snide comment, but paused at the cute sound. Sure enough, that white dog paddled over her floor from the same direction, chasing after its owner. Did that uncouth girl just take it to bath with her? The creature did seem cleaner that the last time Rin remembered. Well, as long as it was dry and there was no wet fur in her bathtub, she could tolerate it...

"Hi, Fou! Want some biscuit?" the redhead said, dangling one over the dog's nose. It sniffed the biscuit, making more cute noises. "Fouuu..."

"Those are for human consumption, Fujimaru-san," Rin quickly intervened.

"It's okay, Fou can eat them, right, Mashu?" Fujimaru ignored her warning as she tossed the biscuit to the air. The white dog jumped after it, chomped on the snack with its mouth, then landed on top the sofa by Fujimaru's thigh. The girl directed an irritatingly smug smile towards Rin as she tickled the underside of the dog's chin.

The Servant girl fixed her glasses. "Uh, yes, Fou is... an unusual... animal."

 _A familiar, you mean?_

 _ **"Oh, Ritsuka-chan? You're done?"**_ asked the small ball of communication as it blinked again. _**"Sorry to keep you waiting. Ready for our strategy meeting?"**_

"Course, doc! Fire away!"

"Before we get started," Rin interrupted, putting her cup on the table for emphasis. "Let's make it clear that you people are currently in my house and my domain as the Second Owner of this land. By which, I expect you all to not try to hide anything of importance to me, especially if it's related to the Holy Grail War."

"... I understand," Mashu said. Beside her, Fujimaru nodded. "Okay," she said simply.

"I want to know about this Shielder-class Servant, where are you guys coming from, and who are you. No more secret. I can be either your ally or your enemy, and I'm sure you already know what to do to become either of those. I believe you have the capacities to think wisely about it."

 _ **"We'd absolutely love to have you as our ally, Tohsaka-san,"**_ said the man from the talking ball.

"Good! Then you can start by answering my questions."

"Doctor, can we really tell her the whole truth..? Especially since the Director isn't here..." asked Mashu. Fujimaru said nothing.

 _ **"I've discussed this with the rest of the crew, and we've all agreed that the two of you could really use her help. There's no better option. We have to involve Tohsaka Rin in our fight."**_

"Mister Doctor, when you say 'our fight', do you mean this Holy Grail War currently going on, or is there some other kind of conflict happening in this city?"

 _ **"You may call me Doctor Roman, Ms. Tohsaka. Just like my two... eh... wards over there,"**_ said the voice. _ **"As for your question, yes, what Mashu and Ritsuka-chan are after right now is not the Holy Grail. Rather, their, our goal is something very closely related to it."**_

"We're trying to save the world," Ritsuka said between chewing mouthful of biscuits.

Rin blinked. _Emiya, if this girl is really related to you, which I really suspect as to be the case, I'm so going to ask compensation for my snacks._

 _ **"It's... well, it's true, though..."**_ said Doctor Roman. _**"Haha... that's quite a simple way to say it, right, Mashu-chan?"**_

"Basically, we're not participating in this Holy Grail War to win the Grail," the bespectacled girl elaborated. "There's... an individual we have to find, and possibly defeat..."

"Oh? Who's this individual you're talking about?"

 _ **"That's the thing, Tohsaka-san. We don't know yet,"**_ Doctor Roman said. _**"All we know is that someone is planning to use the Holy Grail to do something bad to the world, and we have to stop it."**_

Rin put her fingers over her chin as her mind dove into deep thought. Was this a coincidence? The whole missing person incidents, their friend getting kidnapped... could it be that she and these people are going after the same target? The Tohsaka heiress once again scanned her guests with scrutinizing eyes. No matter how she looked at them, they were just a pair of young girls her age, simple in demeanor without a hint of scheming.

"All right. That, I could buy. However you have to open up to me about everything else to gain my cooperation. Who are you people, how do you obtain that information, and where does a Shielder-class Servant come from. You already know who I am, it's only fair if I learn all about you in return, right?"

 _ **"You are correct, Tohsaka-san. However, with our situation as it is, I'm not sure if we can actually divulge those information to you as completely as we should."**_

This again? Rin tried to keep her voice even. "Okay. If I'm inferring it correctly, you are actually willing to share your secrets with me, but there is something preventing you to do so."

 _ **"You're not wrong. It's that... I'm not fully confident that I can convince you to believe in what I'm about to say..."**_

"Which is..."

"We're from the future," said Fujimaru, completely serious. "I know who you are, because in a few years from now, we're going to get to know each other quite well... Auntie."

Rin suddenly felt light-headed.

"What...?" she said dumbly.

"Senpai..." Mashu gasped.

" _ **Whoa, straight to point, eh, Ritsuka-chan? Anyway, is that true? Tohsaka Rin is your aunt? Aww, isn't it nice to see a familiar face in unfamiliar place... WAITAMINUTE TOHSAKARINIS YOURAUNT!? WHAT THE HECK!?"**_

"Doctor..." Mashu sighed tiredly.

"Fou..."

Ritsuka didn't add anything, silently munching on more biscuits. In contrast to her guests' bewilderment and exasperation, Rin was completely stunned. "Hold on, possible familial relation between us aside... were you serious about being from the future part...? Are you... are you guys talking about time travel?"

Countless questions rapidly invaded Tohsaka Rin's mind. Claiming that you are from the future to a magus was like opening the door to an abyss of darkness under their feet. Time travel, the second magic. To even begin to gather the materials necessary to study it required at least color designations from Clock Tower, and it wasn't a guaranteed deal. Any research which possibly resulted in altercation to the fabric of reality would be put under sealing designation, heavily scrutinized and under strict supervision from the whole Association.

And now, a pair of teenage girls from out of nowhere claimed that they have traveled back in time from the future? It got to be the most absurd bullshit Rin had ever heard.

After a groan and some mutterings, Doctor Roman explained, _**"In the future, all factions of the magecraft world have put aside their difference for a common goal, Tohsaka-san. In order to prevent the world's end and preserve humanity's existence, the Magi Association, Atlas Institute, and the Sea of Eastray put together their brightest minds and resources to build an actual time traveling device."**_

Yet even more absurd claim. The Association only cared about protecting the existence of magecraft. Devil knows what Eastray was up to. Atlas had been raving about preventing the end of the world for milenia. What was it that could possibly change their mind, to set aside all differences and be willingly joining forces?

...

 _Wait, isn't that the scariest part of this whole story?_

"That can't be..."

 _ **"It's exactly as implied, Tohsaka-san. The end of the world began here, right in the final day of Fuuyuki City Holy Grail War in the year 2004. Shielder is a Servant-class specifically created by our organization to prevent its ocurrance. Though, well, that didn't really work out until quite recently. Three days ago, to be exact."**_

"How? What will happen to the world, after this Holy Grail's over?"

There was no immediate answer to her question. The Servant and Master pair from the future exchanged uncomfortable glances.

 _ **"Well, that's... how do I put it...?"**_ Doctor Roman said hesitantly. _**"In the future, the world returns to the Age of Gods,"**_ he added in resigned tone.

* * *

These past two days, Emiya Shirou had met many new faces. Among them, Caren Hortensia stood out as the one he found disquieting the most. If he had to say why, it was the way her eyes seemed to be completely devoid of emotion. He had no idea what to feel about her. Saber, despite being a maniac who almost killed him, at least expressed herself enough for him to understand what she wanted.

"Welcome, seventh Master," the white-haired young woman in nun habits said from a seat in front of pipe organ on the altar of the church, her voice almost monotonous, albeit Shirou could swear he heard a hint of amusement in it.

"Hello, my name is Emiya Shirou," he said. "You must be Caren Hortensia-san. Joan-san told me about you."

Hortensia glanced at the blonde who stood by his side, still without a change in her expression. "No demeaning words, I hope," she said.

"Only the best," the blonde smiled. "Sister Caren, Emiya-kun here has some things he needs to discuss with you," she added. Hortensia nodded.

"I'm sure he does, I could tell from the moment I saw him. Thank you for bringing him here, Ruler. Now then, Emiya-san, please take a seat. I have a feeling this might take a while."

 _"I think this pastor girl here just insulted you there, Master,"_ said Assassin. _"I don't think she likes you. Are you sure you didn't break her heart at some point in the past?"_

Shirou ignored the jab and went on to sit on the front row seat, facing Hortensia on the altar. Joan took a seat on another bench, putting considerable distance between them.

"All right, shall I start?" he said when no one seemed willing to talk.

"If you're hoping to relinquish your status as a Master, I'm afraid I can't help you with that," said Hortensia. There was a brief pause before Shirou's and Joan's dumbfounded voices echoed against the church wall.

"What!?"

"Eh?"

"The knowledge regarding the procedure to remove the seals safely has lost, along with the life of the overseer of previous war," Hortensia explained. "The only way to retire is to use up all three of your Command Seals."

Shirou let out a relieved sigh. He gave a look at the back of his hand, the red marks still there. They would go away if he used them, and so would the other Masters'.

"Okay, but... how do you use them?"

For the first time, Hortensia's expression changed, if ever so slightly. Her eyebrows slightly raised as she spent several seconds seemingly thinking on an answer. It was strangely amusing.

"Give your Servant a command, any command, while focusing on the seals. That's how it works."

"I see..."

"That being the first thing we discuss, I assume that you wish to retire from the war, Emiya-san?"

"Well, that's..."

Shirou took a moment to consider his words. Now that he was face to face with the supervisor, he realized that his plan sounded far more concrete in his head than it was in reality. Sure, he had the general idea of it, but how would it go?

"Hortensia-san, I have a favor to ask from you."

"What is it?"

"I want you to inform all Masters that I'm asking for a ceasefire."

"Ceasefire, you say? What do you mean?"

"Exactly as it sounds. I want everyone to stop fighting for a while, and try to find a peaceful solution for this whole thing."

Hortensia's expression changed again after returning back to the default empty look. Now she was clearly in disbelief.

"Peaceful solution...? As in, you want the Holy Grail War to end without any fighting?"

"Yes, of course. If I can just spent my command seals, then the other Masters can, too. We should discuss who among the seven of us should have the Grail, then the rest can just retire."

The disbelieving look on Hortensia's face slowly changed into a barely noticeable scowl.

"... Ruler, did you bring him to me knowing that he's about to tell me stories from his daydream?"

"He did tell me about this idea," said Joan, nodding.

"And? Are you supporting this madness?"

"Madness!?" Shirou rose to his feet before Joan could give an answer. "I want to stop a war and you call it madness!? When you people are willing to hurt each others so much!?"

"Emiya-san, I'm here to make sure that the only people who get hurt in this event are those who knew about it, and are prepared for it."

"Yeah, sure, keep calling this thing an event will you? Because everyone in this city doesn't need to know that some super soldiers are battling it out in the neighborhood and that they are at no risk whatsoever!"

"Of course there is always risk to the general public. However, the Holy Grail War has been happening four times, this one is the fifth. If there really is a way to stop it without bloodshed, they'd have done it long ago. All we can do as the supervisor is to make sure it's all contained."

"Wait, what? Four times...?"

"Yes, why? Is this news to you?"

It was. Shirou looked aside to where Joan was sitting and found her casting her eyes downward. She knew? She hid it from him?

"The grail... it has been won four times? H-How many of it are there?"

"Only one. It reformed itself every decades after being used to grant the winner's wish."

"This... this war have been going on for centuries?"

"Correct. Now, what do you hope against something this big, Emiya-san? The other Masters have prepared themselves for years, maybe even for generations, to fight in this war. Do you think people like them would just willingly cease fighting, because you hate the idea of what they are doing? And what is your plan to resolve the Holy Grail War without conflict? Would everyone just use up all their command seals at once and call it done?"

Hearing that, Shirou was forced to sit back down. His answers to all of Caren's questions would be no.

Was it really a hopeless cause, after all, to pursue a bloodless resolution? Now that Hortensia had put it like that, he could begin to understand what these mages people were thinking. Like Sakura had said, the Holy Grail War was part of their customs. As much as he couldn't accept that his reality was being terrorized by their war, they wouldn't just accept his intrusion into their ritual. So, there was no other option than to just leave all the knowledge of war behind him? Ignoring whatever that may come?

"Damn it..." he pressed his head against his hands.

 _"You're so hard on yourself, Master. Just use up your seals, nobody would blame you."_

Assassin's words were like knives stabbing from behind. He actually felt his back throbbed in pain, too. Nowhere near as bad as last night, but it's a pain he got from almost getting killed. And anytime these day, some more people were going to feel it too, or worse.

"... I just don't want to see anybody in danger..." he muttered, still cradling his head.

"Finally, something mutual between us," said Caren. "Wouldn't that be wonderful, if this war ends without casualties? Such a nice daydream, but all dreams must end the moment we wake up. Have you waked, Emiya-san?"

"I don't know. I still feel like dreaming. I mean, everything was completely normal yesterday, and then... it just wasn't."

"Well, when you feel like belonged in reality again, you need to tell me your decision. Will you fight or resign, taking a leap of faith or retreating back to safety, it's all up to you."

Hortensia's words stung. Resign, retreat, he didn't like those words. The thought of giving up on something were always disquieting for him. But now...

"Sorry. Can you... can you give me some time to think this over outside?" he asked.

"Of course," Hortensia said, her expression softened as her shoulders went slacked. From the side, after taking his glance, Joan nodded.

Shirou rose from his seat and made his way out of the church hall. Closing the door behind him, he stretched his back as he faced the open air. The church's front yard with the city in the distance down below was such a refreshing sight after being pressurized in that closed room. He stretched his arms and back carefully, letting all the stiffness wear away. Both of his arms could move easily now. Checking on his injured shoulder, Shirou found that the wound had completely shut and Sakura's spell had gone. _Gotta find a way to thank her... and to make up for this morning..._

"Hey, Assassin?" he called after taking a deep breath. Sure enough, his intangible companion answered. His servant, indeed.

 _"Yes, Sir?"_

"Why did you come to me?"

 _"Huh? Is that a riddle? Hm, let's see... if we're talking about my wish for the grail, there are sure many more heroes with greater wish and grander legend than mine... maybe in some way we're compatible? I mean, you do remind me a little of my old comrade... eh, I don't know, Master. Perhaps it's just fate that arranged our meeting last night. I mean, look, we're in a church, of all places. Maybe we're supposed to recite life-long vows now."_

Assassin's dry tone gave him a little chuckle.

"Fate, huh? Somebody once told me that you'd know a meeting is caused by fate when it brings something new to your life. Something that stays and changes you."

 _"Really? Who said that?"_

"My dad. He said it after I agreed to live with him as his son. In retrospect, I find it to be true."

 _"Yeah, I can imagine how meeting me would change somebody like you. It's hard, isn't it? Seeing your death coming from right in front you? Even now you can still catch glimpses of its shadow."_

Shirou raised his trembling fist, once again watching the red marks on the back of his hand. "You knew?"

 _"I've been there."_

"You've been through a lot of near death situations? Oh... of course, what with you being able to fight like that..."

At his pointless rambling, Assassin laughed. _"Haha, I've been through actual death once. Not from a fight, though..."_

"You wished you had died from a fight?"

 _"Hmm, it's more like... I wish I had been somewhere else as I let out my last breath. Somewhere more noble, closer to the place I aspired to be."_

Somewhere else to die? Would it really make any different, the place you die?

The thought of death inevitably brought up his father to Shirou's mind. How content the old man had looked under the moonlight. Compared that to last night when Saber was about to finish him off. He wasn't anywhere near where he wanted to be, so frozen in dread and despair to have any meaningful last thought. Had Assassin not come in time, it'd be surely a death without closure, a regretful end that would soon be swept under the rug thanks to the nature of the Holy Grail War.

"Assassin, thank you..." he said.

 _"Huh? Why? For what?"_

He smiled. "I've made up my mind. Let's go tell Hortensia."

 _"Eh? Wait, you haven't told me anything, though!?"_

Shirou opened the door and came inside. Hortensia and Joan were having a conversation as he did so. The two stopped when they saw him.

"That's quicker that expected, Emiya-san," the nun commented as she rose to her feet. "Have you come to a decision?"

"Did you discuss it with Assassin?" asked Joan, who chose to stand by Hortensia's side. The blonde looked somewhat more tired from the last time Shirou saw her, despite the small smile on her face. Strange. He wondered of what she could be discussing with Hortensia when he left earlier.

Meanwhile, at Joan's question, Assassin went on a long rant. _"Nah, my Master was like all brooding and talking about death when he suddenly said he has made up his mind about something. I have nothing to do with whatever it is he's about to say."_

Shirou took a quick breath to calm himself before he moved to face the two women up close.

"I want to stay a Master for now," he said, meeting Hortensia's eyes as he did so. The nun was not fazed in the slightest.

"That's quite a different decision from what you initially told me at the beginning of this meeting. Didn't you want everyone to stop being a Master? What brought this change?"

"What I want hasn't changed. I just woke up, that's all. If there really is no way for you or anyone else to stop this war, then I've decided to take compromises."

"Meaning?"

"I'll use my Servant to protect lives, not to take any."

"Huh?" said Joan.

 _"Eh?"_ said Assassin.

"Lives, as in civilians' lives? You want to take away my job?"

"If your job is as you said it is, Hortensia-san, then I'd like to help you. The grail war maybe impossible to resolve without violence, but I'm not just going to do nothing about it. Like you told me earlier, only those who are prepared to get hurt should get hurt."

"Ah, so essentially, now that you've failed in becoming a reconciliator, you're trying to play the part of a knight in shining armor instead. Emiya Shirou, defender of the weak, upholder of justice."

"I'm not trying to be anything. I just want to do what I want."

"Is that so?" Hortensia's question was filled with challenge. Her golden eyes pierced up ahead into his. If she was trying to detect any lies, any layer of deception, Shirou was sure she wouldn't find any. He was being as true as he could ever be.

He wanted to protect lives and he didn't want to see anyone hurt. That was all there was. No plan, no strategy, only his desire driving him to make this decision.

"Oh well," Hortensia blinked, losing the staring contest. "It doesn't matter, anyway, what you're truly aiming for. Since you seem so sure about it, I have no choice but to register you as the seventh Master. Take care of yourself, though if anything happen, the door of this church is always open for anyone who needs it."

"I will. And likewise, Hortensia-san. Thank you."

"Just doing my duty, Emiya-san. There's nothing to thank me for. Anyway, does the Servant have anything to say about their Master's decision?"

Ah, right. Shirou couldn't believe that he had forgotten about that. Was it the excitement over finally being able to settle to a decision? Was it Assassin's promise this morning to follow whatever he had set himself to do, that made him unconsciously disregarding what she got to say? He turned around towards where he could feel her presence and began to say, "Assassin, I'm sorry-"

"Don't be, Master," Assassin said, and Shirou was stunned when he noticed that she just spoke without intruding into his mind.

Assassin stood behind him in flesh, a soft smile formed on her lips.

"This humble Assassin will do as she vowed, and follow what her Master commands. This blade of mine, the lifetime I've spent perfecting its use, everything is for one purpose only; to kill. To make use of this killer to protect lives instead of taking them, while it is quite a tall order to fulfill, I'd very much like to see it to the end, Master. Your resolve to stay true to that ideal, that is."

For a moment, Shirou was unable to say anything. Assassin's expression was serene as she made that declaration, not an ounce of hesitation in her tone or expression. It was a true warrior's oath she just said. And hearing it, Shirou realized he had never felt so much reassured, so elated, in his life.

"Assassin, I... I'm sorry for being such a difficult person. But I'll try my best, to become a Master worth of your time."

"Same here. This humble Assassin might not be able to shoot lightning with her sword, but I shall try my best to become a Servant you can be proud of."

Shirou chuckled. Trust Assassin to have that joke make a full circle at a time like this. The girl grinned back, likely knowing what he was thinking. She looked well, any signs of injuries and exhaustion from her battle with Saber nowhere to be seen.

"The link between you two has been established. This is amazing, I thought you'd need magical ritual to form it," Joan suddenly mused.

"Joan-san? Is there something wrong?"

"No, not at all. There was a problem, but it seemed to have been resolved, somehow. Your incomplete summoning of Assassin has rendered the link between the two of you nonexistent. But now, I think because you have established some sort of contract with her, Assassin is properly anchored to you, Emiya-kun. Though well, since you're not a mage, you can't give her prana to sustain her existence. There has to be a way to make it work, but I'm afraid my knowledge about it is severely limited."

Shirou was completely lost. "... Okay."

Assassin snickered. "Heheh, I don't really get it either, but since it sounds convenient to us, I think it's okay to feel happy about it, Master."

"... Okay."

"Well, I'm glad that you've decided what's best for yourself, Emiya-kun," Joan added. "I pray that you''ll be safe in your noble endeavour."

"T-thanks, Joan-san," Shirou said, unable to contain his blush. "And for everything else too, thanks."

"Now wait a minute there, Emiya-san," Hortensia interrupted. "That lack of prana problem is going to cripple you dearly, sooner than later. Servants need to be fed prana from their Master, even after a proper contract is established, lest they would stop functioning completely."

Shirou scratched the back of his head as he sighed for the umpteenth time. He had no idea what this prana thing was and how he could feed Assassin with that. The problems were never ending. Right when one settled, another took its place.

Assassin tilted her head to the side. "Eh? I feel well enough, though? I can stay like this for another hour or two, I think."

"That's exactly why it's a problem. What can you do for your Master in the span of two hours when the war would last for days?"

"Right. You have a point, Pastor-san..." Assassin said, nodding. Shirou could swear he saw Hortensia's eyebrows twitching from the new nickname.

"Can you tell us what should we do to fix it? Or has this particular knowledge lost as well?"

Hortensia made a small smile. "Fortunately, that one's not lost. I just never learned about it to begin with."

Shirou could swear she was amusing herself with this conversation.

"How is that in any way, 'fortunate'?" he gritted, his patience starting to wear thin.

"Don't get so worked up. As a servant of God, obviously I couldn't have studied magecraft. However, being in my position, I know a magus. She has mentioned a way to transfer prana that even a non magus can do."

There was something in the way Hortensia told the information that gave Shirou some unknown dread. Suddenly he didn't really want to know anymore.

"Good. Neat. Can you tell me? Please use easier words, if you can. I'm having hard enough time catching up with this conversation as it is."

"Yes, please help my dense Master, Pastor-san," said Assassin, bowing down in respect. If it weren't for the fact that he wanted to quickly get this problem over with, Shirou would have retorted. Reluctantly, he gave Hortensia an affirmative nod.

"All right, so, in order for a normal human to provide their Servant with prana, they have to transfer their life energy into the Servant's body."

"Life energy...? How?"

"It can be done through sexual intercourse."

...

"EEEEHH?!" Assassin cried and stumbled back in shock.

"W-W-What!?" Joan stuttered and blushed.

"... sexual intercourse?" Shirou was too stunned to say anything else.

"Correct. You and Assassin need to fu-"

"Sister Caren! Language!"

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE**

 **I'm not sure if I should end it with a joke like that, but there you go. Caren wants to have fun too, you know. Anyway, I apologize for going MIA these past few months. There was a medical concern last August and some relationship problems with my girlfriend (now ex) after that, leaving me completely uninspired to write anything. Even after I was able to gather the wills to write again, the chapters never came out right until now.**

 **All in all, I'm really glad to be back. There's so much to tell in this story, and I'm grateful I still get to share it with you.**

 **Anyway, Gray-chan is cute.**

 **\- Regarding the fixed connection between Shirou and Assassin... yeah, you can call it a cop out. No way around it, I made a mistake. Being Master and Servant should have naturally created spiritual link between Shirou and Okita, leaving the prana deficiency the only problem needs addressing. Sorry 'bout that...**

 **\- Now the question is, will they or won't they? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**

 **\- This chapter was supposed to be even longer, spilling every bits of neccessary expositions and character interaction before the next action piece. However it ended up only as a build-up, mainly because it's just hard to have the chapter hit the right notes at every scene cut. Next chapter won't be a jump straight into action either, as there's still the bad guys' side to explore before we pit them against our heroes.**

 **\- I originally planned to have Gudako's reveal of her relationship with Rin to happen a lot later, but that would leave Rin an idiot who just let this sassy kid hiding presumably important information from her while expecting her to just be helpful without obvious benefit. Now that she knows Ritsuka is her niece, Rin has good reason to give the future girl the benefit of the doubts.**

 **\- I told you that Chaldea in this story is a bit different from one in Fate Grand Order and now I can explain how. The difference is that the Chaldea of FGO exist to erase singularities created by Holy Grail Wars throughout history, but in this story there is no singularities at all. The Chaldea in this universe is determined to completely rewrite the past, _creating_ a singularity instead. Basically FGO Chaldea is spearheading the plot of "Timecop", while FBC Chaldea is doing "Twelve Monkeys". Get it?**

 **See you next chapter, in which we'll see what's up with Director Olga!**

 **PS: Gray-chan is cute!**

* * *

Later on in Fate of Black and Crimson

The sun was well on its way to the horizon, leaving the sky tinted in madder color. Sakura kept her pace steady as she headed towards the park, careful not to show the pain she felt around her lower torso. She stopped several times to catch her breath as the mild walking distance from her house to the park had become an exhausting trial for her body. Thinking ahead, it was going to get worse. Lancer barely did any fighting yesterday, and she was already a mess. When the war truly hit its strides... she didn't dare to imagine what would happen to her then.

 _"Sakura, you should go back and rest. I'll tell Rin that you can't make it,"_ Lancer said from her astral state.

"No. It's okay, Lancer. I can't just break a promise with our ally."

"..."

Tohsaka-senpai had apparently made several calls to Matou residence, the last one only got picked up when Sakura woke up less than an hour ago. The Master of Archer asked for a meeting as there was something urgent to discuss. Sakura couldn't just tell her that she was too tired to come, as it would make Tohsaka-senpai curious (or worse, worried) and asked her why. And there was no way she could explain why, and she didn't want to lie either. The true nature of her body, as well as Matou family magecraft, were secrets she would carry to her grave.

Besides, it was not like she was so ill she needed to lay in bed all day. She was already recovering when she took the phone call. A little ache was nothing compared to the prize of her cooperation with Tohsaka Rin.

"Ugh..." another throb of pain almost make her trip. She began to feel light-headed as well. Endure it. She had come more than half the way to her destination, the park was already in view. Several times she passed by other people, none of them she knew. She still tried to pretend to be in good condition, just in case somebody decided to care.

"You shouldn't be here."

"W-What-?"

She heard those words abruptly, catching her off guard. Sakura stopped and turned back, to where a flock of strangers just passed her by. None of them looked suspicious. A couple of housewives chatting pleasantly, a group of young women giggling together, several middle-aged men walking like middle-aged men. Her command seals didn't react either.

"Was it just my imagination?"

 _"Sakura? Something wrong?"_

"... No. It's nothing."

If Lancer didn't sense anything, then there was nothing to worry about, right? Yeah, it was just her fever. Better keep going. The park was just ahead, a small plot of gardens and simple rides for kids.

 _"There she is. Archer is with her."_

Sakura didn't know where Lancer was to be able to make that observation, but it helped her preparing. She took another break, straightened her back, took some deep breaths, then after the pain had subsided, continued to make her way to the park. She quickly spotted Tohsaka-senpai sitting on a bench next to the swings, dressed in black outfit and her customary red coat.

"Good afternoon, Tohsaka-senpai," she said once she got close. Her senior gave her a polite smile; it didn't seem like she saw anything unnatural about her. Thank goodness.

"Good afternoon, Sakura. Come, have a seat."

Saying so, Tohsaka-senpai patted the space to her right. Sakura complied easily and sat, though she noticed that a metal flask was already sitting by Tohsaka-senpai's side. That was curious, but she said nothing about it.

"I'm sorry to have you waiting, Tohsaka-senpai," she said instead.

"No, not at all. It should be me who's apologizing. You must have been resting when I called. Sorry to disturb your nap."

"It's okay, Senpai. Nothing to worry about."

"Well, it's not going to stop me from trying to make it up to you."

Saying so, Tohsaka-senpai took the flask, opened its lid, then poured the content of the flask, using the lid as makeshift cup. Soft steam drafted up the air as the fragrance of black tea spread around them. The Tohsaka heiress presented it proudly, like they were in a tea ceremony.

"Here, have some. It's brewed by a hero."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Just drink."

Sakura accepted the offered drink and took a small sip. It was good. Great, even. As warmth spread below her throat and down to her stomach, she felt as though her brain regained whatever it missed out in these past few hours. She drank some more.

Tohsaka-senpai grinned. "It's good, isn't it? Have however much you want."

"Thank you. This is enough, Senpai. I feel refreshed already."

"Good. Then we can start talking for real."

"I assume you want to share information we've both gathered last night?"

"Yup. That. Why don't you start? What I've learned last night and earlier today are... complicated stuff. Some things you'd have hard time believing."

"Of course, Senpai."

Sakura wondered if whatever Tohsaka-senpai was going to share with her was even more unbelieveable than the existence of an eighth Servant, but she told the whole story. How she met Ruler, which led her to discover that Emiya-senpai had become the seventh Master and summoned Servant Assassin - Tohsaka-senpai curiously didn't seem too surprised when she got to the Ruler part. She continued on with how Lancer chased away Saber, retelling Lancer's description of the Servant - that it was a female knight in armor, and that her Master had used one command seal to bail her out.

"Nicely done, Lancer!" Tohsaka-senpai said aloud. "Then, how is it going with that dunce?"

"Emiya-senpai was injured, but I'm sure he's mostly recovered by now. The last time I saw him, he was going to the church with Assassin and Ruler to speak to Caren-san."

"Oh? He's going to participate, after all? That reckless idiot..."

"I... I'm not sure about that..." Sakura hesitated. She couldn't guess how Tohsaka-senpai would react if she learn about Emiya-senpai's plan. "He... he has a plan, but, I don't think I can tell you what it is, Tohsaka-senpai. He... he will tell you himself, if you ask him..."

"Is that so...?" Tohsaka-senpai's eyes narrowed. "What is it with everyone keeping secrets from me?"

"I-I'm sorry-!"

"No, it's all right. This is Emiya we're talking about. Whatever he's planning, I'm sure it won't bring out negative effects to our war efforts. If anything, I'm sure his focus will be on damage control and protecting civilians..."

Oh, he cared about protecting civilians, all right. So much so that he was trying to have the war not happening at all.

"So... about Emiya-senpai..."

"I have to know what he decides to do first. If he does end up participating, I'm thinking of recruiting him into our alliance. God knows we need it."

Sakura blinked, discerning what that meant. "Is there any other alliance beside our own, Senpai?"

"There could be..." Tohsaka-senpai trailed off as she leaned back. "What's more certain is that... we're not just facing rival Masters and Servants in this war. We're also dealing with," she paused again, then said, "... the end of humanity"

"Eh?"

And with that, it was Tohsaka Rin's turn to tell her adventure. She recounted her meeting with a pair of Master and Servant, who turned out to be an odd Servant with 'Shielder' as its designated class. She also encountered Rider, now a prime suspect of the disappearance case, helping Shielder and her Master fending him off. About Shielder and her Master, it seemed there was somebody employing them, a 'Director', who had incidentally gone missing.

Later on, via a communication device belonging to those two, Tohsaka-senpai learned that Shielder and her Master came from the future, the year 2019, to be exact. Their purpose for traveling back to the past and get involved in this Holy Grail War was to prevent the end of humanity, which would be a sure thing to happen in that year or soon after.

"It really is hard to believe, Senpai..." Sakura said, her eyes wide.

"Right? Apparently in the future, the planet somehow regressed back to its state during the Age of Gods, exposing the existence of magic and spreading its use all across the world. All this would cause a great conflict between the world and Counter Force, leaving humanity on the verge of extinction."

"And it's all begin with this Holy Grail War...?"

"According to them, yeah."

Sakura took another cup of that black tea. Her brain needed help in comprehending this sudden escalation to the scale of the war. End of humanity, return of the Age of Gods, all caused by the Holy Grail War she was currently fighting in. A disturbing thought crept into her mind. Would she perhaps become the one to start it...? Her wish to be freed of Matou blood... could it somehow lead to the world itself changing?

 _No. That can't be it..._

"Hey, Sakura," Tohsaka-senpai tugged on her sleeve. "Mind if I have some, too? Explaining it all over again tires me out..."

"Of course, Senpai."

Sakura poured more tea then handed the cup to Tohsaka-senpai. Her senior took a long sip, then there was only silence between the two of them. It lasted for a good minute before Sakura started the conversation again.

"Have you think up a plan for this, Senpai? And what about Shielder and her Master? Are they now part of our alliance, too?"

"I... still don't have a plan on my own. This whole thing could just be a lie, so I'm going to have to see the truth. Shielder's friend, the disembodied Doctor I told you about, he said he could show me some real proof of what they're claiming. However, they need to do a ritual tonight, utilizing the leyline to amplify their support capabilities or something like that."

"Tonight? Will you be there with them?"

"Of course. I'm still the second owner. If some magi are going to make use of this city's leylines, I have to watch over them, making sure nothing goes awry. Do you have any plan tonight, Sakura? You can join us if you want. Meet future people."

 _"No. You have to rest for tonight. I can come instead if you want,_ " said Lancer. She sounded serious.

"I'm sorry, Tohsaka-senpai. There's something I need to do tonight. But I can send Lancer to help you."

Tohsaka-senpai shook her head. "It's okay if you can't come, and Lancer should watch over you instead of being with me. I'd be glad if either of you can help me, but it's not really necessary right now."

"Ah, I see. Well then, Senpai, if you need any help, please don't hesitate to let me know."

"You are such a reliable ally, Sakura," said Tohsaka-senpai, smiling. "But how are we going to communicate, though? I don't suppose you have one of those hand-sized phone thingies, do you? Because I don't have one either."

"Ah, well," Sakura said, her face warm red from the compliment, "you can send over a familiar?"

"Heh. Not a bad idea. However, familiar could take too long to reach you."

"Oh... I'm sorry..."

"What are you sorry for? Really, you and Emiya are too much alike. We're going to use this."

Tohsaka-senpai grinned again as she took out something from her coat's side pocket. A tiny marble made of glass. Sakura received it and examined it. There were some spells woven inside, for sure, though she couldn't figure out its use.

"See, that one is for you, and this one is mine," Tohsaka-senpai showed another identical marble, "if you break that one, this one will automatically break too, thus informing me that you need my help. Of course, it also works in reverse, if I break mine, yours would also break. I'll be counting on you if it ever happens."

"I see... you're very smart, Senpai. When did you prepare this?"

"Heh, thanks. I just made them earlier at noon. That's why the mechanism is very simple. I'll work on a better one some time."

"... Thank you, Senpai. I'll take good care of this."

Sakura observed the glass marble again, admiring its craft and the talent behind it. It was far more advanced than anything she could create. Tohsaka Rin truly deserved to carry the name Tohsaka. She got a bright future ahead of her.

While I...

"All right. I guess this is it for today," said Tohsaka-senpai as she stood up, taking her flask away under her coat. Sakura followed suit, absently noting that it was almost dark by now. "Thanks for telling me what you know, Sakura. Sharing information with you also help me relief some burden, so thanks again," added Tohsaka-senpai.

"Likewise, Senpai," Sakura said. She felt guilty for not completely telling everything she knew, especially regarding Emiya-senpai. However, she was sure that he and Tohsaka-senpai can settle it together later; they were good friends. "Next meeting, tomorrow at school? Lunch break?"

"Yup. I'll see you tomorrow, with stories from the future."

"I'm looking forward to it, Senpai."

The two Masters began to leave the town park, walking side by side. They would go their separate ways on the next crossroad, but for now they got to spend some more time together, and Sakura was very grateful for it. They both didn't try to make another conversation as they walk, but Sakura was fine with it. It was more than she could ask. Talking with Tohsaka-senpai had eased the burden in her mind about the Holy Grail War and about Emiya-senpai.

They exited the park and made a left turn...

"Sakura!"

... and was immediately halted by Lancer suddenly materializing in front of them.

"Who's there!?" Tohsaka-senpai demanded hotly, her hands raised in battle stance.

"A Master," said Lancer, taking out her scythe.

Sakura gulped. With dusk coming close, the hooded figure standing right by the park's outer wall was hard to recognize. The unknown Master moved towards her and Tohsaka-senpai, entering the spot illuminated by street light.

"...?"

It was a girl. Dressed in hooded sport jacket and short pants with black running shoes. The girl raised her hood, revealing wavy red hair the length of her neck, identical in color with Emiya-senpai's. And, as she walked ever closer to them, Sakura noticed that the girl's eyes too, were of very similar amber color as his.

"That's Shielder's Master," said Tohsaka-senpai (Lancer dismissed her weapon at that) before she addressed the girl. "Ritsuka, what are you doing? You scared us! Is Shielder with you?"

 _Ritsuka? That's her name?_

The girl, Ritsuka, Shielder's Master, didn't immediately answer. She kept walking until she stopped right in front of Lancer. Sakura took a step back as she noticed that the girl was staring straight at her.

And that her eyes were on the verge of tears.

"C-Can I help you?"

"... I'm sorry," Ritsuka said, her voice held back by restrained tears. "I tried to hold myself back, but... I really, really want to see you..."

"Ritsuka...?" Sakura heard Tohsaka-senpai saying something, but she couldn't avert her eyes from the red-haired girl. She recognized Ritsuka's voice. It was the one she heard earlier on the way here.

"You... you look just like someone I knew..." said Ritsuka, her tears finally broke. "And I... I miss her... I miss her so much..."

After that, she strode forward, side-stepping around Lancer, and pulled Sakura into a tight hug. Sakura could only gasp in surprise as the girl began to cry into her chest. "I'm sorry..." she said, repeatedly. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

"It's okay... it's all right..." Sakura found herself saying.

What was this feeling in her heart? Sakura wondered. Why did it hurt to see this stranger crying? And why was it also warm? Why did she feel relief? And happiness, too?

As her mind swam in the sea of uncertainties, Sakura's arms returned the embrace.

* * *

Next Chapter:

\- _Rumble in the Town_ -


	10. Rumble in the Town

Enemies on all sides, the warrior danced amidst the raging flames.

The sword in the warrior's hand severed flesh and bones, spilled generous amount of blood onto the earth. Elegant yet brutal. Artful yet merciless.

Soon dead bodies began to pile up. The warrior stood in the center of this circle of macabre.

More enemies came, each one stronger than the last.

Yet still the warrior danced, still the flames burned bright.

How terrible.

How sad.

How beautiful.

Shirou Emiya opened his eyes.

* * *

 **Disclaimer: Characters and setting featured in this super-sized chapter (and the whole story) belong to Type-Moon and affiliated companies.**

* * *

Even after he drowned his fourth serving, the man didn't feel drunk enough for what waited him later in the night. And he thought he was a light drinker.

"Tonight you will command your Servant," the words of his captor from several hours ago echoed heavily in his skull. "Would you like to have something to eat and drink before then? I'll do my best to provide whatever you'd like."

He had opted for liquours. Lots of it. To his surprise, the captor did bring several bottles to his room.

 **"MAstErrr..."** the shadowy creature hissed from nearby.

He refilled his glass and downed it in one go.

His Servant. That was what the thing he had summoned the other night supposed to be. He didn't know what it was as his captor never fully explained beyond calling it a 'Servant', but the dark creature always stood by his side, silent and ever watching. It was human in shape, shrouded in alien black smog that looked like projected image. The sight of that thing was surreal enough to haunt his nightmares, but the fact that it never left him, never seemed to do anything other than keeping itself close to him, started to make him consider death as the better option.

Come to think of it, why didn't he die? His wrist was definitely cut right in the artery. Now nary a scar was there. Had the captor healed it with magic?

"Heh. What do you think, buddy?" he asked the creature as the alcohol started to work its magic.

 **"BlOooOOdD..."**

 _Oh, for fuck's sake_. He eyed his bottle and glasses. It shouldn't be hard to break them and use the shards to slice his wrist again. But then... it was painful and scary. He could remember how cold it had been, how agonizing it was to breathe, to lose his senses slowly like they were pulled off his skin. That experience... he definitely didn't want to go through that again.

"It's time," the captor said as he returned. There was no follow up to that declaration. No question on how he was doing, only such matter-of-fact words. He had no choice other than obey. With a sigh, he took one last glass and followed the man. The dark creature, his Servant, followed without a sound.

They passed that dark corridor and went down a set of stairs. The captor opened a rusty steel door, and the locked-in man breathed fresh air again after four days in captivity. It was already night time. Chill wind blew by, sending a shiver over the locked-in man's body. His captor didn't seem to be affected as he walked ahead briskly, uncaring if his captive were to follow or not.

 _Well, I don't know where to run and there's that thing behind me..._

"Where are we going?" he tried to ask, as he looked around, trying to recognize the landmark. There were stacks upon stacks of containers over concrete floor. The harbor?

"The town," a curt answer came in a deep voice. They had reached a black van parked at the far end of the path.

"The town... you mean, Shinto? Fuuyuki? A-Are we in Fuuyuki?"

Once upon a time, he hated the town he lived in. Since his childhood until now well into adulthood, it had been the same town, the same scenery, and the same people he had to live with. Now he missed it more than anything. His boring apartment, his boring parents, his meddlesome next-door neighbors...

"Get in the car," was the only answer he got. He had no courage to do otherwise and entered, and then off they went.

The night was getting darker as they left his prison behind. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe madness finally seized his mind. As the car wheeled into what looked like a city, the locked-in man began to sing with as loud voice as he could muster. It was his dad's favorite song.

"Do not stand at my grave and weep... I am not there... I do not sleep..."

* * *

 **Six Hours Ago**

The town of Shinto never stops from bustling with activities even on Sunday afternoon. The Central Shopping District, in particular, began to get flooded by people from every part of the city as the sun began to inch west and down. Walking along a sidewalk in the district among crowds of passerby, Emiya Shirou felt like he just passed through the gate to the real world after spending a whole day in a fantasy land where magic existed and knights can produce lightning with their swords.

 _Oh, wait that's real too. Haha, I'm so going crazy..._

Today had been a long emotional roller coaster ride for Emiya Shirou. Anger, grief, confusion, joy, delight, shock, he had gone through it all. Though never had he imagined that the last thing he felt as the afternoon came was an immense embarrassment. Things hadn't been the same with Assassin ever since Hortensia threw a figurative dirty bomb onto their faces - _is she really a nun?_ The last thing he remembered of his Servant before she decided to escape into intangibility was how flustered she had looked.

Assassin didn't speak to him anymore after that. However, her presence was always close by, and that made it even more awkward to him.

"W-Well, here we are, in the city. It sure is crowded, don't you think?"

That was his attempt at starting a conversation. When Assassin remained silent as expected, Shirou wanted to bury himself.

After the whole Holy Grail War affair at the church had concluded and Joan had lectured both him and Hortensia about the importance of keeping yourself clean from the sin of profanity, they parted ways. Joan and Hortensia had more to discuss between them while Shirou decided to go home. They had offered to call taxi for him, but he declined. He wanted to take some time off, walking around the city to ease his mind. That, and another thing.

"Hey, Assassin, uh... I know you're still in shock over what Hortensia said back there. Trust me, so am I. But now I really, really need your help," he said again. "Please help me find something nice for Sakura."

 _"... for Sakura-dono?"_ the way Assassin asked that question was so very uncharacteristic of her. She sounded meek and unsure with herself.

"Yes, I want to give her something as thanks and apology. You know, for everything she's done for me last night and what I did to her in return?"

 _"I see. Well, I think you should ask for her hand in marriage."_

Had he been in the middle of drinking something, Shirou would have spat it out for sure. As it was, he only nearly tripped over the pavement.

"I-Idiot! I told you it wasn't like that between us!" he turned around and yelled, forgetting that he was in public and that Assassin was invisible. Sure enough, the people along the sidewalk stopped and gave him puzzled looks. The old lady he accidentally yelled at looked up in confusion.

"I hope everything is working out for you, young man."

Shirou quickly muttered an apology and fled the scene half-running. He only dared to slow down once he was five blocks away. Assassin was still with him.

"What was that?!" he protested, this time made sure it came out in whispers.

 _"I was serious. I think a marriage proposal from you would make Sakura-dono very happy."_

He blushed at that but still tried to keep his cool. "No, I'm thinking about something simple, okay? Just a small gift she'd like. A treat, accessories, just... stuff. And uh... since you're a girl, like her, I figure you'd know what's best."

Assassin didn't reply immediately.

 _"You've known her for a long time, but you have no idea what she likes?"_

"... This is the first time I'm thinking to give her a present."

The spare key to his house surely didn't count, right?

 _"Poor, poor Sakura-dono."_

Clicking his tongue, Shirou made his way to a nearby alley. Once he made sure that there was nobody around to hear him, he spoke loudly.

"Assassin, let's get real here. Let's talk about the problem we have. The two of us have."

"..." Assassin's presence lingered nearby, but it was faint. She was distancing herself from him.

 _"Master, what do you feel about Sakura-dono? Do you love her?"_

"Damn it, Assassin...!"

 _Do you love her?_ Hearing that question echoing in his head was like having an electric current charged into his brain. He couldn't make coherent thoughts for a moment from the shock alone. Even then, after thinking hard about it, he couldn't come up with an answer as quickly as he'd like.

"Sakura is like a family to me," he began, "I find her attractive, I care about her, I want to see her happy, but... I don't think I love her. Not in that way."

 _"She loves you, you know? In that way."_

"... Really."

 _"I'm a girl, like her. I figure I'd know."_

"Damn you."

Shirou crouched down and leaned against the alley wall, burying his reddened face under his crossed arm over his knees. Sakura loved him, Assassin said. It wasn't the most surprising news. Even as dense as he was to social interaction, puberty spared no one. He did notice the way she occasionally looked away flustered when he saw her looking at him, the way she smiled happily from his compliments, her always trying the best to do anything he taught her...

"So... uh, you're thinking that... uh, damn it... if, if we do... what Hortensia suggested, it'll be... bad for Sakura?"

 _"... I don't actually have to answer that question, do I?"_

Shirou dipped his head even lower because now his entire face was heating up. _Stupid Hortensia. Stupid Holy Grail War. Stupid me._ He had been trying his damnedest to put aside the thought of having to make love with Assassin only to talk about it with her. Perhaps a part of his mind did consider Sakura's feelings, but mostly he thought it would be disrespectful to his Servant. To do as Hortensia said would seem like he was taking advantage of the situation to bed her.

How despicable. Even thinking about it this way made him sick.

 _Damn it. Is there no other way?_

"..."

 _Now there's an idea..._

"Maybe Hortensia didn't know everything," he blurted out.

 _"Aye?"_

"Maybe there's another way to provide you with that prana thing," he said, "even if it has to involve an exchange of body liquid... it doesn't, uh, have to be... intercourse... something like blood transfusion might do the trick, perhaps?"

 _"... Ah, I see!"_ there was a noticeable improvement in her mood. _"Who would know about it, though?"_

"Sakura? She's a mage, right? Let's ask her."

 _"That... might work. But wait, so you're going to admit to her that you've decided to fight as a Master not too long after your declaration this morning that you're going to try to cancel the war? And this present giving won't be just an expression of gratitude and apology, but as leverage for a favor as well?"_

 _Oh God_. Shirou scratched his head. Of course there would be more hurdles to this simple idea. What didn't have one?

"... Yeah, that would be embarrassing as hell. But what's a little embarrassment compared to your well-being?"

Assassin finally laughed after all this time.

" _Heh. My well-being you said. You do remember that I'm here basically to put myself in harm's way, right?"_

"If I give you prana you might die, but if I don't you'll definitely die. Pretty obvious choice, huh?"

 _"There's one too many 'die' in that sentence!"_

"I could add another one if you like."

They both broke into laughter.

 _"All right, then! Let's find the best present for our resident good witch!"_

"Good, but before that, let's grab some lunch. It's pretty late for that, but screw it. I'm starving."

 _"Roger that, Master. Hey, is it weird to envy you for being able to feel hunger? I mean, you get to put something tasty in your mouth when you're hungry. All I got to taste since last night was my own blood... aahh, I should have materialized this morning and ate that chicken with you guys..."_

Shirou smiled in relief as he got to his feet. He noticed the rather forced way Assassin was raising her voice; she hadn't completely returned to her usual playful, go-happy self. But it was fine. This was the Assassin he had known and come to like.

"When we learn how to fix that prana problem, I'll cook something for you."

 _"Oh, really? Yay! It's a promise, Master!"_

Grinning, Shirou raised his pinky finger and felt a faint warmth wrapped around it.

"Promise."

* * *

 **Fate of Black and Crimson:**

 **\- Rumble in the Town -**

* * *

Being abducted was the best thing that had ever happened to Olga Marie Animusphere in these past three days. Now she was well aware that having thoughts like such might indicate a crack in her sanity, but to be fair, her captors provided her with good meals, nice hot bath, clean change of clothes and high-class hotel room to stay in. It was definitely a way to persuade her to go along with their scheme, but as it was closer to her original living standard than staying on the street, she couldn't deny how much she enjoyed the privilege.

 _Apart from how annoying my new companions could be, that is..._

"Come on, Olga-chan, drink up~" the adult woman, Reika she was called, Saber's Master, said teasingly while holding out her fan of cards. Olga took one of the cards without thinking; she just wanted this stupid game to end as quickly as possible.

"Urgh..."

So close to a match. Queen of heart glared at her, unhappy to find the queen of spade in the same hand.

"My, not getting a match, Olga-chan?" the woman laughed. Olga ignored her and turned to the next person in rotation. Servant Rider's eyes fell upon her briefly, then shifted lazily towards her fan. Olga hated how the gesture made her heart throb.

Her abductor was an incredibly handsome man. Underneath that eerie silver mask he currently didn't wear was a chiseled face sporting perfectly symmetrical cleft chin, aquiline nose, and thin lips. His sharp eyes had this melancholic quality about him with their reddish, ruby color. His eyebrows were thick, arched like an idle longbow split in the middle. His hair was thick, dark, and wavy, completing his charm with its edgy roughness.

"A-hem. Looks like somebody's got a crush~ or rather, Stockholm Syndrome?" Reika's teasing voice brought Olga back to reality, which prompted her to blush.

"Girl, if it's wavy hair that turns you on," said Caster's Master with a smirk - his name was Shinji, family name unknown for now, "there's a safer choice over here. No sharp objects in my pants either."

"May I?" asked Rider, his fingers hovered over a four of diamond in her hand. His mildly deep voice was almost gentle.

Olga scoffed at them all - especially at that lecherous Shinji - but said nothing. Meanwhile, Rider took four of diamond and then discarded it immediately alongside a four of heart already in his hand. Now he only had two remained.

 _"This Servant's luck must be pretty high up..."_ Olga thought. Her abductor now was face to face with the one-eyed Saber, who frowned in focus. The girl Servant pulled out one of the two cards and balked immediately after. "Gah! I got the Devil!"

Shinji snorted and broke into laughter. "Haha! What a retard!"

"Fuck did you say, you shit!?" Saber growled, scaring the curly-haired young man. With one eye covered by dark eye-patch, she looked like a vicious pirate from storybooks.

"Now I know how Assassin managed to blindside you, Lass. Baring your fangs too easily doesn't make you a mighty lion, more like an angry domesticated cat," added Caster casually.

"Oh, what an interesting theory, Caster. You wanna try to prove it? When my sword find its way up your arse, try saying that again."

To Saber's boastful challenge, Caster cackled mockingly. "Really? See how you'd like it when your eyes fester and fall off your skull."

"Come on kids, be nice to each other. You'll have all the time in the world to tear each other apart once this alliance is over," Reika drawled like she was used to this. To Olga's utter puzzlement, the argument did stop. To be fair, Caster looked like he didn't really care to begin with, but Saber... the volatile acted like a child scolded by their mother. She made an indignant noise and sulked as she let Caster took a card from her hands. With the way she tutted, Caster definitely didn't take the devil out.

The game continued albeit in awkward silence. On the next round, Rider emptied his hands and left the table to stand by the window, looking over the approaching dusk with a glass of wine in hand.

"Why so far away, Rider?" Reika asked without looking his way. "I'm sure our guest here would be happy to have you by her side."

"I'd be happy to sit with her if she's going to tell us everything about Shielder."

"My, Olga-chan you poor thing... your prince is thinking about another woman..."

Prince. Could it be a clue to Rider's true identity? Olga tried to recall any legend or tale in which a prince was fond of kidnapping women. But it really couldn't be that convenient, could it? The woman might be messing with her for all she knew.

"Shielder is my family's secret weapon. I wouldn't just divulge information about her to you people."

Saber's Master raised her eyebrows. "My, your family's secret weapon? Funny, earlier I got this info about your family... it said, they didn't have a daughter."

It was a bluff and a bad one at that. These people didn't know anything about her family. Right now, a four-year-old Olga Marie Animusphere was spending her day learning to memorize alphabets and alchemical symbols. She kept her face stoic as she said, "And? What else does your info tell you about my family?"

"Oh, whoops, silly me. The info actually said 'no seventeen-year-old daughter'. But Sir Animusphere does have a four-year-old daughter."

That caused Olga to jerked her head in surprise. They knew of her family name? They also knew about her father? But how? Prior to being the director of Chaldea, his name had been practically unheard of outside the Association. And as far as she knew, this woman wasn't even a magus.

"Your daddy likes to brag about his precious daughter to his colleagues, you know? Saying how proud he is of her, how much she inspires him-"

"Lies! Father never-"

Olga realized her mistake too late. She could only gaped in silence as her playmates sent cold stares her way. Reika didn't drop her friendly facade, however. "Are you saying that Lord Animusphere, who currently doesn't have a daughter as old as you are, is your father? How does that work, Olga-chan?"

"T-That's..." she couldn't tell them the truth no matter what. Who knew what these people would do when they learned that she was from the future? Any Master was a potential cause for humanity's impending extinction. She always kept that in mind. "How... how much do you really know about me?"

The woman leaned back on her seat. "Not enough to satisfy my need. That's all I can tell you. Reaally wish you'd add more."

Anger bubbled and popped in Olga's stomach. "I don't need to satisfy any of your need."

"Are you sure about that?" the woman put her cards on the table. "Look around you, Olga-chan, at this pretty prison. Everything you enjoyed here so far, the food, the warm bed, the bath... they might have blinded you to the fact, so let me remind you. They all come from our hands. Your life is in our hands. And to be honest with you, our fingers are starting to feel sore."

"Threats wouldn't sway me either."

"You don't have to take my words as threat, Olga-chan. I actually hate to do that, threatening others, especially an abandoned little girl like you. All alone in the middle of this war with no friends and no Servant to protect her..."

"Rider took me away from my friends!"

"Friends who weren't by your side when he took you. Friends who let you starve in that abandoned house. Friends, whom you know very little about... especially that Master of Shielder. A red-headed girl whom that Servant kept calling 'Senpai' over and over..."

This time she wouldn't fall for the woman's bait. That was nothing Olga didn't already know about. Fujimaru was a stranger to her life and an endless test to her patience, but that girl was simple. She held no desire for the Grail. Nothing to be worried about as far as the Holy Grail War was concerned. Same with Mashu Kyrielight.

"I see you're trying to put your trust in them. Such a headstrong girl," Reika said. "Remember though, people always have something they long for, even your trusty friends. Who could guarantee that their loyalty will stay with you when the path to fulfill their dearest wish open before them?"

That confidence. That almost assured way she predicted these things... Olga couldn't help but shiver.

"Sorry to interrupt, but your talk about desire prick my curiosity. What's yours? What do you truly seek? Don't tell me you want to see Saber becoming the winner again. I didn't buy it one bit then, I'm not buying it now," Caster said suddenly.

"Caster, I thought you're my trusted ally~" Saber's Master said, pouting. "Shouldn't you help me crack this girl instead of prodding me?"

"Heh. Sorry. Can't ever stand seeing a girl being pushed to a corner, especially by the kind of woman that you are."

"My, so blunt."

This group's dynamics confused Olga once again. Rider was aloof, yet always hang around with them and do almost anything they asked. Saber disliked her Master, but stay loyal despite it. Caster and his Master seemed to be the ones who stood as Reika's equals, but still acted pretty respectful. _What is tying them together?_

"They're all here," Rider interrupted before any further conversation could be had. "All Servants are now in this town, except... Lancer. She's across the river, doing nothing."

When Olga turned to look at the Servant, a dark object was dissipating from his hand like dust into air. He stared down on her, daring her to ask. She averted her eyes, but made note of the object she just glimpsed. _It was like a round black mirror..._

"All of them, here?" Saber sounded excited. "Hah! Now this is battle royale!"

"Not including Lancer," Shinji said. "Yeah, now I'm sure it's my cowardly sister's Servant."

"Eh, if she wanted to hide, then let her be. I'll get that little snake in time!" Saber waved her hand. "More importantly, where's Assassin!? She's not too far from here, I hope. This time I'll kill that bitch for sure!"

Reika sighed. "As I said, you're not to engage anybody in battle tonight, dear. Assassin already took one of your eye, we can't let her take another before the one you lost has fully regrown."

"Screw you, whore! I know that bitch's tricks now. I can defeat her blind!"

"Oh? Really? Let's prove that claim, shall we? I'll use my command seal to make you gouge out your remaining eye and use the last one to make you fight to the death right after. Does that sound challenging enough for you?"

"Whore, you'll be the first I kill."

"Sure. No problem. Now, with this command seal..."

Saber quickly raised her hands in surrender as her Master's command seals started to glow red. Olga stared at them with wide eyes. That mad woman was actually about to go through with that?!

"Stop it! All right! All right! Shit, what the fuck's wrong with you..." Saber grumbled. The crazy woman only smirked as her command seals died down.

"You have the best Master, lass," commented Caster, "she really knows how to tame you."

"Call me tame again, you hairy-assed Druid. I fucking dare you."

"Why d'you keep talking about mine ass? Makes me think you want to see it up close and personal."

"Fuck you!"

"Now, now, kids, no more playing around," Reika clapped her hands. "Night is coming for us, and it just so happen that the other four, oh wait, does Shielder count too?"

"Yes," said Rider, his silver mask coming to exist in his hand. "And another one. There's a ninth Servant."

 _What!?_ Olga almost expressed her disbelief aloud. The information really caught her off guard, as did everybody in the room. Surprised and confused looks were exchanged, although Caster looked rather nonplussed.

"Oh, that's new," said Reika. "Well, it means five Servants other than the ones in this room are going to be in close proximities to each other. It's safe to expect that more than one battle will occur tonight."

"Right. What's the plan, then?" asked Shinji.

"We let them fight," she answered simply. "In fact, if you can lead them to encounter one another, please do so. See the fights from safe distance, take notes of enemy Servants' abilities and Noble Phantasms. If an opportunity presents itself, strike them down."

So this woman acts like their strategist? Their field coordinator? Olga watched in dread and astonishment as the other Master and Servants in the room nodded their heads at the woman's instruction. _Who is she, really?_

Saber raised her hand like a student in class. "Whore, if it's just an investigative mission, I can do that. I won't fight, but let me see the other Servants fight."

"We talked about it," her Master sighed again. "You're to remain in this room until your eyes are back to normal. Caster and Rider will share what they learn with us."

"But-!"

"No more argument, Saber, or I'll use the seals," the woman showed the seals already burning red. Saber's protest died before it could be said. "There's a mission for you, though. You're going to guard our princess here, don't let anything get near her, or her getting near anthing, really."

"Eh?" Olga exclaimed in surprise when she realized the woman was pointing at her. Saber's gaze was murderous, making her stomach churn.

"Me? Taking care of this useless whelp?"

"No, nothing so troublesome. Just make sure she stays in your sight and not doing anything suspicious. Magi are crafty. I'm sure she's been planning to make her way out of here since the moment she join our party. As she already knew our faces and that we're in alliances, she mustn't escape no matter what."

"What about you? Are you going out?" asked Shinji.

"Yup. Still got that contract with Rider's Master going on. Sorry for not being able to keep you company here, Saber. Please bear with the loneliness for a while."

"Who'd get lonely over your absence, whore!? Get out of here! Vanish! Die for all I care!"

Reika chuckled at that, and so ended this meeting of weirdos. Everyone other than Saber and Olga Marie stood from their seats and started to leave the room. Caster and Shinji walked out first, the latter winked at her before disappearing into the hotel's corridor. Olga hoped he'd be eliminated tonight. Rider was the next to leave after making some inaudible chatter with Saber's Master.

"Hey, Olga-chan. About that conversation earlier, let me tell you that what I told Caster is true. My goal is for my Saber to win the Holy Grail and have her wish granted," the woman said as she put her boots on, Rider having gone ahead of her. "That's not a lie."

Olga knew that there was nothing trustworthy about this woman, but it would be a lie to say that the confession didn't leave her curious. She glanced at Saber and found that the Servant had clamped hands over her ears tightly. To her surprise, the one-eyed blonde's cheeks were flushed red from embarrassment.

"Gaaaah! I'm not listening!"

"Adorable, isn't she?" Reika smiled, looking somewhat fond of her Servant. "However, if we're talking about my own personal, selfish desire, then all I want is redemption. That's all."

Olga blinked. "... Redemption?"

"Yes," Reika said, and for once, she smiled in a way that seemed genuine. Eerily so. "And what can one do to redeem a filthy whore such as myself, if not to make way for the redeemer to take the reign?"

* * *

Mashu Kyrielight sat in the living room of Tohsaka Mansion with Fou on her lap. It was already past sunset and neither Ritsuka-senpai or Tohsaka Rin had returned. She hoped nothing happened between the two. Ever since they revealed the truth to the Tohsaka heiress, she had been acting cold towards them. Not that Tohsaka had been particularly welcoming to begin with, but at least in the beginning she had been quite open to speak out her mind. Now Tohsaka Rin was more guarded and aloof, distancing herself from them.

 _ **"Hey, don't trouble yourself over small things. Give her the time to process everything, Mashu-chan. It was a lot to take in. The end of the world and stuf**_ f."

"Fou!"

Doctor Roman's words and Fou's bark didn't quite dissuade the tight, uncomfortable feeling in her chest. It was doubly uncomfortable as the feeling was directed towards her Senpai. Her Master. Ever since they met with Tohsaka Rin, Fujimaru Ritsuka had become like a stranger to Mashu. She was hiding something from her, that Senpai.

"Doctor, about Ritsuka-senpai's family..."

 _ **"Yeah, everybody here was surprised as well, except for that certain one guy... had we all known she is Tohsaka Rin's niece, we'd have treated her very differently back then."**_

Mashu smiled in agreement. At least people wouldn't just let her fall asleep on the floor after a merciless series of physical tests. They wouldn't have put her in the trial and testing division to begin with, actually. And like that, she and Mashu Kyrielight would never have met.

She didn't like to ponder about that possibility.

"I don't think she wants special treatment, not for something she doesn't earn herself. Senpai wouldn't like that, I think."

Yet she acts like a rebellious spoiled child around Tohsaka Rin. Is that the way she expresses herself around her family? Or is there something deeper under the surface? Mashu just couldn't understand it.

"... Why didn't she just tell me everything?" and quitted leaving her in the dark, she thought but didn't say.

 _ **"Everyone has their reasons to keep things to themselves, Mashu-chan. Even now you haven't told her everything about you, right? If you truly need to know, you have to ask her yourself."**_

"Fou!"

Reaching down, Mashu tickled the white creature under the chin. Fou purred happily from that.

"I still have a lot to learn, right, Doctor?"

Across time and space, Doctor Roman chuckled. _**"Oh, trust me, there's no end to learning. It's part of human nature."**_

"But... what if Senpai doesn't like it, that I'm trying to know more about her? If she gets angry at me, wouldn't that interfere with our mission?"

 ** _"It's definitely an outcome we don't want. But if you continue to wonder alone and keep it to yourself, wouldn't that hamper your job as her Servant all the same?"_**

"So the only way to solve this problem is through communication?"

 _ **"Yup. The old-fashioned hard and windy path... or as Magi*Mari said in her blog an hour ago: 'Show 'em the true strength of your heart ~' hehe..."**_

Mashu had to frown. "That virtual idol thing still exists?"

 _ **"Hey, that's rude! Magi*Mari is eternal! Remember that call from early morning? That guy managed to get our net back online, and when I checked, she's still in her room! Humanity might be going extinct, but not Magi*Mari**_!"

Just for that small moment, Doctor Romani didn't sound as meek and wimpy as he usually did. _Why could he only be so serious over silly things, though?_

"Wait, the facility is now online?" Mashu asked once she realized the missed important detail. "How is the world? Have we... have we changed anything?"

 ** _"About that... there's no noticeable change yet, at least as far as my observation goes. The climate's still crazy, people all over the world are gearing up for wars... it seems our future really wouldn't change unless the singularity point is fixed."_**

"The singularity point... the winner of this Holy Grail War..."

 _ **"Yeah. And for the life of me, we can't find anything about that. Chaldea's database doesn't contain that information anymore."**_

"... anymore?"

 _ **"Yup, sadly. A large chunk of data has gone missing. Somebody has erased them on the day of the attack, and anyone who should know abut it had either gone missing or... passed away."**_

"So... doesn't that mean that they attacked us spesifically to erase that data? Along with preventing us from fixing the timeline"

 _ **"Yes, that's the most likely scenario. Even now after things have settled down, we're still wary for the possibility of a mole from The Cult lurking within our ranks."**_

Mashu frowned in deep thought. The Cult. Since the founding of Chaldea, mages from all over the world had been divided into many factions united by either interest or disdain toward the organization and its purpose. The Cult was among the latter. They saw the widespread of magecraft as a step forward for the evolution of humanity and the world's civilization. The Return of the Age of Gods, they heralded, and in the process of pursuing that ideal world, they turned into fanatics.

However, for the Cult to attack Chaldea with enchanted military gears and utilizing magus-killing equipment... she shuddered to think how big the threats that were out there, looking to intervene their mission.

 _ **"Hey, don't go worrying about us now. We managed to get out of that one, right? And our powerful friends are still around to help. It's going to be fine on this end."**_

 _Powerful friends?_ Mashu wondered who the doctor was talking about. Back when the communicator came to life in that abandoned mansion, Ritsuka-senpai had asked how the doctor and the remaining staff of Chaldea managed to survive. The answer was that they had some help from unexpected people. Any further details would be discussed when a better communication channel between them could be established, though, the Doctor had assured them.

"I'd really like to thank them for the help, Doctor."

 _ **"Oh, don't worry about it. You can express your gratitude in person soon. Or, as soon as when the connection to Fuyuki City's leyline is fully formed, that is... what time is it over there? Any sign of Tohsaka-san coming back yet?"**_

"... No. And it's already night right now..."

Mashu looked out of the window. She started to get worried. The sky had gone completely dark. Where were they? Why had Senpai told her to stay home? Sure, the Holy Grail War practically took a break when it was daylight, but now that night had fallen...

 _Aargh, why didn't I see this coming? This is just like that time when Rider took her!_

 _"Don't worry, it's just a private business unrelated to our mission. You should get some more rest, Mashu. Prepare your body, who knows if it's gonna get rough like last night?"_ her Senpai had said, winking and grinning like there was nothing wrong before unlocking the door ang getting out of the house. Mashu should have insisted. She should have been more strict, as both her Servant and friend.

"Doctor, We're going outside. Come on, Fou!" Mashu decided, quickly pocketing the communicator and rushing to the front door.

 ** _"Whoa, no need to rush, Mashu-chan! ... Eh, it's not like I can really stop you..."_**

"Fou!" the white squirrel-like creature padded behind her.

Left or right. Getting out, the street in front of Tohsaka residence immediately demanded her decision. Left would take her downtown, right deeper into the suburbs. Trusting her gut feeling, Mashu decided to go right.

"Eh?"

"Fou?"

 ** _"What? What do you see?"_**

"... I found them."

It was a short adventure. Several houses down the block, she found an intersection and from there, she spotted the two people she looked for, walking side by side like they had left together to begin with.

"Senpai! Tohsaka-san!"

Mashu ran toward the two, waving her hand as she did so. Only Ritsuka-senpai returned the gesture. Tohsaka only met her eyes but continued to walk past.

"I'm going ahead," the magus said quietly.

"Oh? Eh, welcome home..."

Tohsaka Rin remained silent. On the other hand, Ritsuka draped an arm across Mashu's shoulders, dragging the bespectacled girl along to the side.

"Hiya Kouhai. I missed you."

"Senpai, where have you been? Were you with Tohsaka-san the whole time? The Doctor and I were getting worried."

"We just happened to meet and talked a little. A bit of a fair warning, though. She might kick us out of the house."

"... What?"

 ** _"WHAT!?"_**

"Fou!?"

"What did you do, Senpai!?"

 _ **"Yeah! Why the hell would your own aunt kick you out of her house!?**_ "

Ritsuka-senpai laughed, though there was no joy in it. "Well, she can be stingy and pissy at times, but she's the coolest aunt in the world. It's just... the last time I saw her, we weren't on the best terms. I was angry at her... at the Auntie Tohsaka she has yet to become."

"But that doesn't explain..."

"Yeah, yeah, so I told her all that and she asked me why I was angry at her future self... and... well, I explained why. I don't think I should have. Yup. She wouldn't want to have me under the same roof as her. Not anymore, if she even thought about it to start with. We're back to living on the streets, my bad."

Mashu looked down to her twiddling fingers. Senpai was about to do it again. Keeping it to herself.

"Senpai... do you want to make things right with your aunt? With Tohsaka-san?"

The fake smile on Ritsuka-senpai's face faltered for a bit. "The Tohsaka Rin we meet here is not the one I have problem with... should have kept that in mind from the time I met her..."

"But even so... Senpai, this can't carry on... our mission, we need Tohsaka-san's cooperation-"

"I know her, Mashu. She has learned how big the problem is. With the fate of humanity on the line, she will agree to work with us, whatever it is between she and me."

It made sense. It was only logical that Tohsaka Rin would agree to help them. But even so... there was something upsetting with this arrangement. Mashu took Ritsuka's hand and force the taller girl off her.

"Senpai, you can't just let things be... you... you have to make peace with your family ..."

Ritsuka bit her lip and averted her eyes.

"I... I don't have a family, I don't know how upset you can get with them, how complicated it is to talk things out... but, but if I do have one... I'd definitely want to get along... I want to smile together with them... so..."

"... I told you she's not the one I have problem with. She's not the Tohsaka Rin I'm upset with. It's not her I should have a talk with."

"But you've been acting rude to her nonetheless. At least apologize-"

"I don't want to!"

Mashu took a step back and gasped. Ritsuka-senpai's eyes looked scary.

"Call me selfish, immature, what have you. I don't care. I'm not saying sorry to _her_."

"Senpai..." her voice trembled.

" ** _Hey... Ritsuka-chan, it's unfair to yell at Mashu-chan like that. She's just trying to help."_**

"... I know. That's why we should stop it now. We're not talking about this again."

That said, Ritsuka-senpai took a step forward and walked off, never looking back. Mashu was left to watch as her back moved away. She couldn't go after her. Something she couldn't quite understand was holding her back. The uncomfortable feeling in her chest had worsened. So tight and suffocating. She couldn't think straight. She wanted to ...

 ** _"Hey, Mashu-chan. You're not at fault here. If I were there I would pull her ear off. You hear me?"_**

"Fou..." the creature nuzzled her feet, trying to comfort her.

"Doctor, I..."

 ** _"You're free to cry. It's okay to get upset."_**

"No, I... I want to slap her in the face... I... I want to hit Senpai..."

 ** _"Eh? What...?"_**

"I mustn't, do I?"

 _ **"A... a little slap is fine, I think...? As long as you're not using your Servant strength, that is..."**_

"I mean, why is she... why is she so, such... SUCH AN IDIOT!?"

"Fou!?"

 ** _"Whoa, there! You're right in my ear!"_**

"She'll hear me! She have to listen to me! To us!"

Mashu walked, no, strutted over the street in rush. She never felt so much anger burning inside her. That Senpai... that stupid Senpai. She wanted to yell at that girl, force her down to her knees and apologize to Tohsaka-san and to her. Did she know how much her childish acts had worried her? After all they had been through together, shouldn't she at least listen to her for a bit!?

The demi-Servant reach the front of Tohsaka residence and paused. The aunt and niece were having a confrontation in the front yard. It seemed intense.

 _My goodness..._

"That's it! I can't take it anymore! My niece from the future or whatever, my house is off-limit for you from now on!" Tohsaka yelled hotly, finger pointing in accusation. Ritsuka-senpai crossed her arms and huffed, saying nothing.

"You can't just lock-pick my door! If you wanted to go out you should have said so!"

"Oh, and you'd allow it?" Ritsuka shot back.

"No! But at least know some manner! Didn't your parents ever taught you anything!?"

The taunt changed something in the red-headed girl. Her next words were cold and laced with malice. "... You don't get to say anything about my parents."

"Like I care anymore! Now that I know what's going to happen, I can make sure that they'll be around long enough to raise you properly! And then there's nothing for you to get worked up for! All your feelings right now would be meaningless!"

"You... how dare you...!"

"Senpai! No!"

Before Ritsuka-senpai could make a leap for the Tohsaka heiress, Mashu rushed in and tackled her down. The two struggled on the ground. Ritsuka trying to get up and Mashu trying to keep her down. They wrestled, hands reaching for something to grab onto.

"Guh! Let go of me, Mashu! She can't say that to me!"

"No! Enough of this! You stay down!"

Mashu rolled with all her might to put Ritsuka-senpai under her, but the older girl was bigger and heavier. With a grunt, the readhead turned the situation around and threw her junior aside.

Then she got up and found herself face to face with Archer.

"You...!"

Ritsuka-senpai froze on the spot as Mashu looked on with confusion. All signs of anger on Senpai's body seemingly evaporated in an instant.

"This is unsightly," said the dark-skinned, tall Servant. "For a Master and her Servant to fight among themselves, there's no hope for the two of you to survive the Holy Grail War. Let alone saving the world or whatever."

"Archer..." Tohsaka Rin said. "Even you have to come out..."

"You don't deserve to be called a Master," the white-haired Servant continued, pointing at Ritsuka-senpai. "You're only a burden to your Servant and your allies. If it were up to me, there'll be no cooperation between us. My Master and I will do as we like in our own way."

"So the future doesn't matter to you?" Ritsuka-senpai asked, her voice trembling. "I thought a hero would care."

"Even if we decide to save humanity from bad future," said Tohsaka Rin. "It won't be with you by our side. I already made a promise to help you with the leylines, but afterward, I'm cutting ties with you people. I'll see what the future holds, but whatever it is I decide to do with that knowledge, I'm not involving you with that. I think it's fair, considering how untrustworthy you have proven yourselves to be."

Mashu cast her eyes down. So after all this bonding and hoping for the best, they had to lose a potential ally? One as formidable as Tohsaka Rin?

"Fine by me," said Ritsuka-senpai. "After tonight, I won't have to bother you anymore. It's relieving."

Tohsaka's expression hardened, but only for a moment. She gave Mashu a complicated look.

"You may enter and get all your stuff packed. And then we'll leave for the town. Please make it quick."

Saying so, the Tohsaka heiress entered the house, her Servant dematerialized right behind her. Mashu got to her feet. She looked at her Senpai, but wasn't sure on what to say.

"What? You want to scold me? Go ahead. Hit me too when you're at it. I know I deserve that." Ritsuka-senpai said, making a lop-sided grin that was somewhat painful to look at.

Mashu looked down to her hand, considering the offer. She couldn't do it. All her anger had turned to pity.

"I'm disappointed in you, Senpai," she said. "I'm really, really disappointed."

She went into the Tohsaka Residence, leaving Ritsuka-senpai outside. When she started to hear screaming, Mashu gritted her teeth and quickened her pace.

* * *

"Why didn't you wake me up?! Hell, why didn't anyone wake me up?!" Shirou hissed as he walked out of the cafe he had had lunch and afternoon nap in. He blinked to wash the dryness of his eyes and looked up. The sky had darkened considerably by now. His plan to get home before sunset while shopping for groceries along the way was now ruined.

 _"Well, I was about to, but then I thought that you need to have a rest. You looked tired. As for the shop owner and the waitresses, I don't know. They did check on you several times but in the end they just let you sleep like a log. Sympathy, I guess."_

Shirou sighed. "Well, there's no use regretting it now... let's go do what we planned to do..."

 _"Preparing your marriage proposal to Sakura-dono?"_

"Ha ha. Nice try," he said, starting to head further into town. "But seriously, that joke didn't take off the first time. Stop it."

 _"Okay, sorry~"_ Assassin clearly wasn't feeling sorry. _"So, what are you going to get? Did you find inspiration from your dream?"_

"... It wasn't a particularly inspiring dream. Not as far as picking presents is concerned..."

He had dreamed of a manslayer on rampage, slashing down men left and right. A bloody dream he'd really like to forget. _Must be because of that damn Saber..._

"Do you have any idea?" he asked back, trying to shake off the unpleasant thought. "For the gift, I mean. I did ask your help for this."

 _"Hm, let's see... have you noticed that red ribbon in Sakura-dono's hair, Master? It's an old thing, but she took care of it so well it hasn't worn out as visibly as it should. What about that kind of hair ornament? Wouldn't you like it if she took care of your present as well as that?"_

He did notice the ribbon. A lot of times, in fact. It must be something special to Sakura. A memento, perhaps. The thought discouraged him from the idea. Giving her another one would be like he was intruding into that special place, not to mention the fact that two ribbons on her hair would be an overkill. _Let us not create a second Tohsaka Rin here_.

"That's not a bad idea, but I don't think a hair decoration is something she needs," he said.

 _"Does it have to be something she needs? Hmm... she cooks a lot, right? Kitchen knife, perhaps?"_

"It would look like I'm recruiting her to be my personal cook. Rejected."

 _"Hmph. Why do you even ask for my opinion, then? Fine, so you want know what she needs? She needs a replacement heart because you broke hers this morning!"_

"Hey! That's low!" Shirou protested. "It's what I'm working on right now! And it isn't even funny! How the hell does replacing heart even work in that sense? Am I supposed to find her a guy she might like, to replace-"

 _Me_. Shirou quickly put a hand over his mouth before the damning word was out. That was bad. He almost made a big fool of himself.

Unfortunately, he was not the only one to realize that.

 _"Eh~ what was thaat~? Did my Master just get worked up over the idea that her girl needs another man~?"_

"... Shut up."

 _"Or perhaps you're angry at the thought that somebody else could be your replacement~?"_

"Damn it, Assassin! That's- ... wait... that's it!"

"What?"

The idea struck him like lightning, and Shirou was quick to latch onto that. He moved immediately, almost running.

 _"Do you always come up with ideas when you're in the middle of a conversation? And would it kill you to tell me what the idea was before executing it?"_

To Assasin's question, he grinned and said, "Replacement! That's exactly what Sakura needs!"

Ignoring Assasin's confused 'huh?', Shirou made a stop at a shop with garish pink and purple storefront. It was the kind of shop that sell all sort of girlish things like accessories, plush dolls, makeups, and whatever was trendy for girls. He entered the shop with a sigh, knowing that if anybody from school were to see him right now, his peaceful school life would become a distant, unreachable dream.

"Welcome! Looking for something for your girlfriend~?" a shopkeeper in a pink sailor uniform greeted him. He tried to keep his face stoic as he replied with, "No, just gift for a friend..."

The shopkeeper recommended many things, but Shirou had already decided to buy Sakura a new handkerchief. The one she had lent him the other day had been ruined from Saber's attack and thrown away by Assassin afterward. Therefore, buying her a new one would actually serve three purposes; a thanks, an apology, and replacement for something of hers he'd lost.

 _"Or perhaps, you could just give her three things instead. A new handkerchief, a hair ornament for apology, and one of those cute dolls as thanks,"_ was another one of Assassin's bright ideas when he explained it all in whispers. Shirou hung his head low. While it was a good suggestion and he did think Sakura deserved at least that much... he didn't exactly bring enough money to afford all three of them.

Not without cutting into the food budget, at least.

"... let's prioritize on what needs replacing, shall we?" he said, crouching over one of the glass cabinets. So many to choose.

 _"All right. Hey, I think that one is nice."_

"Which one?"

 _"This one I'm pointing at!"_

"... Assassin, you're invisible right now."

 _"... Oh, right. Sorry. Hehe. Um, well, it's over the third rack from above, third row from the right..."_

Shirou took one as directed. It was a bright pink handkerchief with white cherry blossoms motifs, reminding him of her apron. "This one is nice, alright..." he mused, though to be fair, there was none that he found particularly striking or suited Sakura. "Do you think this one will suit her?" he asked his Servant.

 _"I think the color fits for her. I can't know for sure, though. Never bought something girlish for myself."_

There was no hint of any particular emotion in her voice, but Shirou found her proclamation a little saddening.

Assassin would have looked good in pink.

 _"So, what do you think? Are you going to grab that one?"_

"Yeah, I think I'm getting this one..." he said. He rarely took a long time choosing stuff when shopping, safe for groceries and kitchen appliances. Speaking of which... many of his kitchen appliances were badly damaged by Saber. One of these days he had to organize them and replace the broken ones. He sighed again. _My savings..._

 _"What is it this time, Master? It's like you can't spend an hour without brooding about something..."_

"It's hard not to, after everything that has happened."

Assassin didn't comment on that, so he went to the cashier and paid. The item was neither too cheap or too expensive, so when the clerk offered to wrapped it as a gift, he agreed.

 _"Hey, Master. Would you mind to have a serious talk right now?"_

Her voice was different, clearly not the one she'd use for her usual teasings and small talks. Shirou nodded in agreement, thought only when he was out of the store did he ask her back. "What is it, Assassin?"

 _"Now that you've decided to fight in this war, Master, you can't keep stopping to agonize over small things. You have to be firm with every choice you make and brave through every consequence of your decisions._ _Be it buying a gift for a woman or bringing yourself to deadly combat. When you've resolved to do anything, you have to prepare for the result, victory and defeat, lost and gain alike. Elsewise, the victory will stay far from your hands."_

Shirou scratched the back of his head. "Victory? But winning the war isn't the goal. I told you I don't want the Grail..."

 _"Remind me then. What is the goal?"_

"As long as everyone walks out of this alive and well, then it's a win for me."

 _" Well, then start acting like you're prepared to fight for that goal, Master."_

"..."

She really was at her most somber as today, Shirou thought. It just painted the gravity of the situation even clearer. There was a war to live through. Fights he should expect. He supposed he should try to do as she said, to focus on what truly mattered. Even now, not a full day since his first encounter with a Servant, he began to feel lax already. _My stuff can be fixed or replaced, but a moment of hesitation in this war costs way more than frying pans and laddles._

"Thanks, Assassin. I really need to sort my priorities properly, don't I?"

 _"Nothing to thank me for, Master. The same goes for me."_

"Huh? What do you mean?"

 _"Let's not talk about it. It has passed."_

"... Okay."

It didn't take a second to guess that it was the prana problem thing that had been distracting her. He smiled despite the returning embarrassment. It was good to know that he was not being an idiot all by himself for once. And well, it had passed, just like she said.

"All right. Shall we go home?"

 _"Unfortunately, we can't."_

"Huh? Why?"

 _"I've been observing for a while, and indeed, someone is following you."_

"... What?"

 _"They have been tailing you since we left the food shop. I think they're waiting for an opportunity to ambush us."_

"... A Servant?"

 _"A pair of Master and Servant, I think."_

Shirou felt his heart throb as his feet stopped walking. Would there be another fight? No, calm down. Assess the situation properly.

"Are they getting closer?" he asked, moving over to the side so that he wouldn't be in the way of other passerby.

 _"No. They stop when you stop, move when you move. They don't want to reveal themselves in this crowd."_

So they were waiting for him to be somewhere with no people. This Holy Grail War and the very existence of magic were supposed to be kept in secrecy, after all. This could be exploited as a way to avoid confrontation with this Master, by staying in the crowds... but for how long? To go back home, he had to go through many quiet, desolate spots. Even then, as Saber and Lancer could attest, his house was not a safe haven from Servant attacks.

Rather than delaying the inevitable, shouldn't he just face the trouble and get it done...? But getting it done... how?

 _"Master. Be firm with your choice. Like we agreed."_

Shirou took a deep breath. Assassin's grim voice helped to put the gravity of the situation into place. _Fight or resign, taking a leap of faith or retreating back to safety. Well, Hortensia, I'm taking that leap._

"They want us to be away from crowds, right? Okay, we'll give them that. We'll lead them somewhere with no people around."

 _"And then? Would you like me to use my skill as an Assassin? Am I supposed to ambush them?"_

"... I'll leave choosing the battle strategy to you, just... avoid endangering civilian. But more importantly, I'm going to try to talk with the Master, finding out their intention, maybe arranging peace agreement. If there is no other choice, we'll fight. Again, if there is no other choice."

 _"Understood."_

He had made his decision. Now there was no turning back. He gave the busy street a once over before taking off, starting with a quick walk into an alleyway. Then he made several more turns, moving further and further away from the bright part of the town. By the time he reached a quiet and wide street near the outer ring road of the district, he stopped.

"Is this place good enough?" he asked his Servant.

Is was a small two ways street cutting through plots of empty lands. Some kind of large scale construction was supposed to take place in this part of the district by the latter half of the year. Right now it was a street in the middle of nowhere, lit by a dozen of street lamps.

 _"This is fine. The enemy is near. Master, I shall go into hiding while you find out what they want. If the tension escalates, I'll swoop down."_

"All right. But remember, no fighting unless there is no other choice. Try to not kill anybody too if you can help it, please."

 _"I'll use the back of my blade."_

It was Assassin's last word before her presence completely disappeared. She had been intangible and invisible, but now Shirou really felt alone, as though she had just left him to somewhere far. _She isn't doing that, though. She has promised to fight by my side, and she'd stay true to her words. I can't let her down._

Shirou stood in waiting, keeping his breathing and heartbeats steady. In the distance, from the end of the street, a silhouette of a person came into view. It was a small person, and as they got closer, Shirou was astonished to find that it was just a young girl, maybe age ten or so. She had very striking features, this girl. White blond hair that shone silvery under the light, a pair of gleaming blood-red eyes, and purple winter clothes that gave an impression of an aristocrat from some far European country.

"Hello, good evening, Onii-chan," she greeted, her voice melodic. "We finally met."

 _Finally...?_ The word caught Shirou's attention. His left hand throbbed in pain. When he looked down on it, the command seals were glowing pale with red.

"Those are some nice seals, although a bit too abstract to my taste," the girl commented.

"... who are you?" he blurted out a question without thinking. "Do I... do I know you? You are... are you a Master?"

"My, where are my manners?" she giggled, then lifted the sides of her skirt and bowed like a noble woman. "I am Illyasviel von Einzbern, Master of Berserker. You can call me Illya."

"... I... I am Shirou. Emiya Shirou..."

"Emiya Shirou. I know."

"Huh?"

The girl giggled again. "Eheh, haven't you ever heard about me from Kiritsugu?"

"Kiritusugu...? My father...?" Shirou didn't expect his name to ever pop up in this situation. He gave the girl a sweeping look from her purple hat to to the tip of her small boots. Who was this girl, to know about Kiritsugu? What did this foreigner have to do with his lazy old man?

"Oh, well, you can continue to play dumb, Onii-chan," she said as her smile turned sinister. "It doesn't make a difference. I'm stronger than you. You will submit to me."

"Okay, wait!" he interrupted, raising his hands. "Girl, Illya, there's no need for violence. You know my dad, right? Can you tell me about it? Let's just talk."

The girl pouted. "Talk, talk, talk. Oh, Onii-chan, you are more boring than I thought! I should have shown you my Servant from the start! You'd be trembling in fear, soiling your pants, and begging for your life!"

"What...?" he couldn't make sense of her words. This girl was talking about making him beg for his life? What kind of girl would find that fun, while the normal, peaceful option was boring?

"Ugh. You're so slow. Come out, Berserker," the girl said.

In the blink of an eye, two figures appeared out of nothing at once. First was his Assassin, dropping down behind Illya. The second was a monster, appearing behind the two of them.

When he finally comprehended what had just happened a second later, Shirou let out a choked scream.

"Any funny move, girl, your life will end before you can blink," Assassin said, voice as cold as ice as she pressed the blade of her sword against Illya's small neck.

"Any drop of blood out of my skin, Servant, you will pay it back with the entirety of yours," the girl replied, unnervingly calm considering the situation she was in. The fact that there was a monster currently dangling an enormous stone sword above Assassin's head definitely helped her confidence.

The monster had the shape of a man, only the man was eight feet tall and seemed to be made of muscles wrapped in reddish bronze skin. He had long dark mane for hair. His eyes a pair of mismatched colors that exuded nothing but fury and madness. Through his hard clenched teeth, he breathed raggedly, sending down silent anger towards the swordswoman who currently held a drawn blade against his Master.

Servant Berserker.

Looking at such monstrosity, Shirou found it hard to breathe and stay on his feet. He had never felt so much dread and fear before. Not even against Saber. Not even when the city was on fire all around him.

"Hehe, isn't my Berserker awesome, Onii-chan? He's Heracles, son of Zeus, the strongest among the strongest," the girl said happily. "Your Servant is quite unique too, as weak as she is. Saber with presence concealment, is it? Would you care to tell me your name?"

"Sheesh, this is so unfair... there's no need to keep his name a secret when your Servant is of this caliber, isn't it?" Assassin said. "I'm sorry, young lady, whatever name and moniker I have, there's no way I can stand equal to your Servant, so I have to say no to your request. Now be a good girl and walk a little with me. Leave your Berseker where he stands, though."

"What if I refuse?"

"Want to find out which one is faster? My blade, which is a hair breadth away from your skin, or your Servant's, half my height above my head?"

"My Berserker is very quick."

"I'm willing to bet that my blade is quicker."

"Assassin..." Shirou said, finally able to avert his eyes from the monstrous Servant and regained his voice. "What are you trying to do?"

"Master. Thank goodness you're back to your sense. Let's leave this place," answered his Servant. In her arms, the girl blinked in confusion.

"Eh? You're Assassin? What's going on with this war, really? Strange Servants left and right. First Ruler, now you."

"Fascinating, isn't it? Let's talk about it as we walk, okay?"

"Assassin...?" Shirou asked dumbly as the swordswoman walked toward him with little Illya in front of her. A horrible thought crossed his mind and he couldn't help but say it out loud. "Are you... are we taking her hostage?"

Assassin tilted her head with a pained expression. "Yes, Master. It's the only way. Now, let's move. We're going back to town, and then home."

Shirou wasn't sure about that plan. So they were taking Illya home with them and then... what? He really couldn't come up with any guess. He tried to look at Assassin for an answer, but she only gave him a steely look in return. _Trust me_ , she seemed to say. Still unsure, he looked down at the girl, Berserker's Master. She looked up to him in turn, looking like an innocent young girl she most likely wasn't.

"All right. We're going home," he said, voice trembling. "With her."

* * *

Her Master wasn't sure about this, Assassin knew. This situation was too sudden and too heavy for his current mindset. Even though he followed her plan for now, Assassin couldn't help but feel wary at what he might do later. As evident from the fight with Saber, when under duress or in a stressful situation, Emiya Shirou could break into unexpected action without warning. It was what she truly worried about at this point.

His recklessness was a lucky break back then. In this situation, though, it's unlikely to end up the same.

"What's the matter? You're lagging behind," said the little girl, Berserker's Master. She sounded merry for someone with a sharp blade just a paper-thin away from slicing her artery. Wordlessly, Assassin pushed her feet to walk faster, careful so that the girl wouldn't get cut and rendered the entire scheme pointless. "If you don't kill me now, Berserker will hunt you down the moment you're away from me. And when he gets to you, I'll make sure he'd violate you before dealing the finishing blow."

"Silence," Assassin said. If the amount of magical power exuded by this Illya girl - even as she continued to maintain Berserker's physical form - wasn't enough proof to her inhumanity already, then those threats were the damning evidence. No child should speak of hurting somebody so easily, especially when their eyes had lost all signs of childish ignorance.

"H-hey... uh, Illya, isn't it?" Emiya-dono asked as he stopped and turned around. "Can I... can I ask you some questions?"

Assassin clucked her tongue. "Save it for later, Master. You can question her all you want when we're back."

Her Master shook his head. "No... I, I need to know now."

"What do you want to ask me, Onii-chan?"

"Are you here to kill me and that's it?" he began, "or do you have a reason to fight in the Holy Grail War? A wish?"

"Winning the Holy Grail is my duty, but your life is my reward. What does it matter to you, Onii-chan?"

He looked taken aback by that answer. "We never met until now, so why? Why do you want me dead?"

"Dead?" Illya laughed. "No, Onii-chan. I said that you'd submit to me. Do you understand? You'll be _mine_. My doll, my plaything, my pet. _Mine_."

 _What the hell..._

"Hehe, you should have a look at your own face! Scared yet? Why don't you order your Assassin to finish me off right now? Let's make this more interesting!"

"No!" he shouted. It was a quick dismissal, his expression changed in an instant from horrified to stubbornly determined. "I won't... we won't do that. You... you're still a child..."

"My, so it's fine if I'm not a child, Onii-chan? Too bad, this is how I look."

 _She's trying to provoke him_. Assassin tightened her grip over the girl's shoulder, and re-angled her sword against her neck. "Enough of this!"

The girl cried out. "Ah! It hurts!"

Disaster came like a flash of lightning.

"Assassin, stop!" her Master cried out and spontantenously one of his command seals disappeared in a flash of red. Assassin froze as the spell took hold of her body. Her ears barely registered Illya's calling of her Servant's name.

Three explosions boomed from behind.

"...!"

The giant crossed the distance with unbelieveable speed, three enormous leaps were all he took. By the time Assassin moved her head to look, Berserker was less than five feet away from her. His sword was already in full swing right then, a split second away from smashing her head off. And it missed.

Assassin had ducked and threw herself to the side with shukuchi. Berserker's blow created a gust a wind and blew a few strands of hair. She was so low to the ground as she evaded, her chin nearly touched it, yet still she pushed forward, avoiding another blow that would have smeared her all over the asphalt. The impact cratered the ground and brought a strong gust of wind, so strong it almost caught her off balance.

She gritted her teeth. _We have to escape!_

"Master!" she called out hotly, already rushing toward him even before he reacted. She threw her sword over the air as she ran.

"H-huh?"

Dumbfounded, he could only guffaw when she jumped, grabbed his shoulders, and vaulted over his head with a full body flip. A moment later he yelped and then screamed as she threw him overhead, narrowly missing Berserker's downward blow. She was already shooting forward as a blur by then, catching her Master and steadying him on his feet. She grabbed his hand, puling him into a run with peak normal human speed. The distance between the two of them and Berserker had increased significantly.

They would be safe for about three seconds. At best.

"Run, Master, run!" she urged, snatching her sword back as it descended toward her. This time her Master didn't hesitate to comply. He ran like hell.

"More speed, Berserker! More power!" Illya cheered from afar. Assassin wanted to scream.

 _God! Give me a break already!_

But God wasn't being kind. Berserker closed the distance with a mighty leap, roaring as he brought down his giant slab of stone upon the fleeing pair.

"Keep running, Master! No matter what!"

It took everything from Assassin to save her Master. Her senses, her muscles, her breathing, every fiber of body burned at full throttle. She used shukuchi in a blink of an eye to take a step ahead of him. Then she stopped and pivoted on her heel. Her hand pulling his, the momentum of the action took her Master flying again, but this time she was not about to catch him. Berserker's rampage had to be halted somehow, even a single gasp of breath was precious.

So, when the giant's sword pulverized the ground Emiya Shirou had previously stood on, Assassin jumped onto it with all her weight. The sudden addition to his weapon's weight didn't slow Berserker for one bit, though it did trigger his feral instinct to strike whatever it was. The giant brought his stone sword up, but Assassin was already running in full speed by then, advancing over his hand, arm, shoulder and face.

The wolf climbed over the titan's limb, baring her fang as the colossus was forced to look up.

"SEI-YAAAAHHH!"

Hovering above the giant for a split second, Assassin's sword danced furiously. Seven rapid slashes were executed, aiming for eyes and nose and ears. Sparks flew as the blade of Kiyomitsu scratched Heracles' skin. No damage done, not a drop of blood was spilled.

The slashes were all executed with the back of the blade. She wanted impact, not sharpness. Assassin's aim was to push back, not to cut.

"... Rrragh!"

Thus, when the eighth strike landed against his temple, Berserker was forced to take a step back. Assassin's semingly futile assault had broken his balance. The swordswoman took the miniscule chance to kick herself off the giant's face. She sailed over the air, rolling, and landed several steps behind her Master who was running and sporting several new scratches and bruises.

"Y... you got him?" he asked between ragged breaths.

"Nope. Keep running!" she said, chasing after him. Ahead of them, about two hundred yards away, car lights passed by. The city. Lots of people. They could hide from Illya and Berserker there.

"...!"

About sixty yards behind them, Berserker exploded with rage. The night air blew in disarray as the giant let out a mighty roar. Glancing back, Assassin noticed that the giant's knees were in a stance, his posture bend forward slightly. Mana gathered in and around his body. He was about to take off.

 _Shit._

"Master, jump on my mark!"

"Jump!?"

"Yes! Jump ahead in three, two... one!"

Three things happened at once right when the count should have reached zero. Berserker leaped forward once more, now with much more strength than the previous times. Shirou jumped as ordered, and Assassin, sword dismissed, caught the back of his neck and the collar of his pants, then took off with shukuchi. Right as the Master and Servant threaded over the rest of the street with the speed of sound, Berserker landed sword first.

The ground broke. Rubble and dust shot forward to where the giant's sword was pointed at.

"Guh!"

Pieces of rubble and stones struck Assassin's back as she ran, throwing her off balance. She almost fell, but she held fast onto her Master. In turn, he caught her waist in reflex and the two of them managed to keep standing and go on running. They had reached the end of the street.

Without warning, a speeding car crashed against her side.

* * *

Illya approached her Servant who stood as still as a statue. Together they watched as Emiya Shirou and her Servant recklessly crossed over a busy traffic to get away from them.

"Idiots..."

Even after she received a car bumper with her waist, Assassin persisted. She managed to push her Master away from impact and pulled his shirt in time to avoid a furiously honking truck that had failed to slow down. The car, meanwhile, swerved to the right with a screech and stopped after its front wheel got off the road.

The situation after that was as chaotic as it could be. All vehicles in the road jumped to the brake, some stopped, many more collided against each other. Screeches and screams and crashes and horns polluted the air.

All while Emiya Shirou and his Servant crossed over and disappeared into the crowding onlookers, presumably further into the town.

"Cheaters... cowards..."

Using ordinary people as smokescreen... didn't they think that it could expose the Holy Grail War? He was just as devious as the man who had taken him in, that Emiya Shirou. Disregarding rules, endangering innocents to make sure of his own safety... truly despicable.

"We're getting him tonight, Berserker. No matter what."

* * *

"Oh God...! Oh man...! Oh God...! Oh man...!"

This was the second night he ran like this, and this time, his panic level was incomparable to the last. His brain was still catching up with the fact that he almost had died several times over in a span of minutes. Berserker almost pulverized him, several cars almost smashed him flat ...

"Keep running, Master! To the city! Get to a crowded place!"

Crowded place. Crowded place. Where was a crowded place? Shirou had known this city for all his life, knew its every corner like the back of his hand, but right now he was lost in a dark jungle. He slowed down into a jog as he spun around, pinpointing where he was.

"This street... there was the pawnshop... watch store... and over there...city park. Right. We can go there. The city park..."

As he spoke out loud, he began to realize how out of breath he was. His legs were on fire. The throbbing of his heartbeats was so strong, it felt like the organ might burst at any moment. Something arose from his stomach-

"Urrrghhh..."

As he bent down and threw up, Assassin rubbed his back.

"There, there, it'll pass..."

"Y-you... did you hurt her...?" he asked, heaving miserably. "Illya... I think I saw you trying to... to cut her..."

"I didn't. She might have cast an illusion on you."

"But I..."

But he saw blood. A lot of it gushing out from Illya's neck-

 _... it was that dream. That fucking dream._

For a moment he had thought that Assassin was trying to kill Illya because that manslayer, that swordsman in his dream, resembled her.

 _Idiot_. Assassin wasn't some kind of maniacal murderer. She wouldn't just slit a little girl's throat. Especially since she had taken the effort to not hurt her to begin with.

Done retching out the last wave of nausea from his system, Shirou wiped at his mouth. In the process, he noticed that his command seals had changed. What were once three marks had been reduced into two. He had wasted it on accident and it had nearly costed Assassin her life.

Those brutal swings from Berserker... even a slightest touch against one of them could have been fatal. Assassin really could have died and he too...

 _Idiot. Idiot. Idiot!_ He punched the ground in anger.

"We can't stay idle any longer, Master. We have to move," said Assassin. He turned his head and looked up, where he found his Servant looking down on him with grim expression.

"Whatever you want to say, save it until we're out of danger," she added, as though reading his mind.

"I... I messed up..."

"I said save it."

Saying so with a cold voice, Assassin offered her hand to him. Shirou took it after a moment of hesitation and she helped him up to his feet. He took the time to let his heartbeats and breathing down to normal level as he took in their surrounding, placing where they were.

"If we're going to the park, it's that way then go right," he said, pointing to an intersection down the street. "It should be quite crowded at this hour, lots of pedestrians..."

"But...?" Assassin was quick to notice the apprehension in his voice.

"This street is too quite. Normally this area would be just as busy with people."

Assassin's eyes narrowed as she seemed to fall into deep thought.

"I think we should carry on to the park if there's no other bustling places nearby. There's no sense in turning back either."

"All right. The park it is."

The way to the Memorial Park was eerily quiet. Stores were already closed, not a single pedestrian or vehicle passed by. All Shirou could hear was his and Assassin's footsteps along with occasional noises from the surrounding environment. That, and...

"Assassin, are you okay?" he asked. His Servant was walking several steps behind him, sword at the ready. "Are you tired?"

"I... I'm not in the ideal condition, but I can manage..."

"Why don't you turn invisible? That should help, right?"

"No... it's too risky..."

 _Too risky for me, right?_ Shirou took a glance at his Servant. She was definitely enduring some level of fatigue, with the way she breathe through her mouth. She had overexerted her body to protect him from that monster. Without her, he would have died many times over. And still, she was putting his safety above her own.

 _There has to be something I can do to help her. Even a little._

"Assassin, here," he said, dropping to one knee. "Hop on to my back."

"Eh!? M-Master!? What are you saying!? Don't joke around at a time like this!"

"I'm not joking. Get on!" he said. "You need to save your strength, so don't walk anymore until we get home!"

"B-but you're just as exhausted if not more so than I am!"

"I'm good! There's nothing to worry about! Come on, this is your Master's order!"

"B-but... uh..."

"I'm not moving until you get on, Assassin."

"What!? Ah... augh, fine! Fine, you big man! Go ahead and carry your Servant!"

Assassin climbed up his back with a harrumph and he froze. Shirou didn't remember what he had expected when he made the suggestion. The drawback of a simple piggyback ride with a girl should have been obvious. Namely, the soft sensation pressing against his back.

"... If you say I'm too heavy I'm going to hit you."

"T-That's not necessary! Your weight is perfect!"

"... Don't say anything anymore. You stink of pukes."

The jab hurt, but it helped him renew his focus. Carry Assassin to the park, blend in with the crowds, and then sneaked their way across the city and back home. Good. He took the first step and jogged. _Ignore the soft flesh on your back, Shirou. Don't fail, Shirou!_

"You were right, Master. It's too desolate. Very unnatural. The streets, I mean."

"..."

"And now I sense something... some concentrated magical energy in the air..."

Fuuyuki Memorial Park was just ahead of them. Originally a complex of governmental buildings, it was repurposed into a park after the great fire ten years ago. Shirou had planned to go to the southern side of the park, where people liked to hang out, but the whole place was bereft of any living thing. It was possible to get to the bus station from here, but he didn't want to risk facing another ambush.

"Great. We're running away from battle, but now we end up entering a warzone. Master, there are multiple Servants on the other side of this field. They are doing something magical."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not a mage. I can sense magical energy as a Servant, but beyond that, I have no idea."

"Are they not the ones we already know?"

"No. They're new."

They had met Saber, Lancer, Ruler, and Berserker. That only left Archer, Rider, and Caster. _What to do now? Should we avoid them?_

"Master, we can mask our presence with theirs. I can bait Berserker to confront these Servants to give us a chance to escape," said Assassin. "Even now, that giant is approaching us. Just a few blocks more from the street we came out of earlier."

Shirou felt a shiver down the small of his back. His eyes wavered between the street and the briars concealing the other side of the park. Assassin's idea sounded like the safest option, but...

"That Berserker... is he stronger than the Servants over there?"

"... Yup. Absolutely on another level."

"Then... we... we have to warn them. We go there, and ask them to cooperate with us. Fight Berserker together so I can have the chance to speak with Illya."

"Master, I have to say that this is your dumb- craziest idea yet. What makes you sure that those Servants would be willing to help us? Also, you tried to speak with Illya earlier and it nearly got us killed!"

"It will be different this time! With more than one Servant we don't have to take her hostage anymore! We don't have to scare her and make her hostile toward us!"

"Ugh... there's so much problems with that plan. First, that's assuming you can convince the other Servants to cooperate. What if they decide to pounce on us instead? Or worse, siding with Illya and Berserker?"

"Assassin, if there's only a one percent chance that everybody's going to get through the night alive, I'm taking it. I'm not gonna let anybody die or get hurt no matter what. That's what I set out to do. That's why I'm staying in this messed-up war."

Assassin sighed.

"... Fine. I should be arguing more, but our time is short. We're going to check on the other Servants first, though. If I think they're not gonna agree with your proposal, we're going with my plan. We're using them as a bait."

Shirou gritted his teeth. The image of that manslayer flashed behind his eyes. _Is Assassin really a ruthless killer, after all...?_

"All right, I agree."

If worse came to worst, he would use the next command seal.

Assassin got down from his back then led them deeper into the park. They were getting away from the light, sneaking into the briars and trees covered ground that walled a large open field. In the middle of the field stood the memorial monument. A black slab of marble etched with the names of the victims of the disaster. Shirou recalled seeing it in local tv news several days ago. People had begun to put flowers over the monument, remembering the dearly departed.

 _Right. The anniversary is coming in two weeks._

He felt a little ill all of a sudden. It always happened when he was near this area. It felt like he was surrounded by smoke and fire all over again. He tasted death in his mouth.

"Master, stop. Let's observe for now- Master? Are you all right?"

"I'm good. Can you see them? What do they look like?"

Under the canopy and well away from the nearest source of light, Shirou couldn't see Assassin's expression, but he could see her silhouette nodding. Several yards away from the monument, he could see shadows of people. A tall one, and three shorter ones. They seemed to be gathering around a tiny source of light on the ground.

"Two Servants and two humans. Two female Masters, one female Servant, and one male Servant - that's the tall one."

"They aren't fighting, are they?"

"No, they aren't."

Good. Then there was a chance to get them to cooperate.

"Hey, Master. There's something strange," Assassin added. "One of the girls, one of the Masters... she... she looked just like you."

* * *

It happened too fast. They were standing in circle around the small futuristic device on the ground, listening to Doctor Roman talking about how they have to make sure the airpot thingy don't move an inch from its current position when all of a sudden, her Archer pulled out a sword out of thin air.

"Over there!" the Servant shouted, throwing the weapon past Rin's left ear. She froze on the spot, but regained her sense when she heard a loud clang and a louder yelp coming from behind.

"W-W-What are you doing, you idiot!? You could have cut me!"

"I'm sorry, Master. I detected a hostile," he answered, stepping to stand protectively behind her back. Rin grumbled as she turned around, pulling out a jewel from under her sleeve. At the same time, another sword appeared in her Servant's hand, identical to the one he had thrown, save the color. That one was pitch black, this one was white.

 _Huh? Twin falchions? Why would an Archer have them?_

On the other side, Shielder stood in front of Ritsuka, her huge Shield at the ready. Fou stood by her feet, ready to pounce as well.

"H-Hey...! We're nothing suspicious! It's just me and my Servant, Assassin! We're not here to fight!" a loud male voice came out from the dark trees.

 _Wait. Assassin!?_

"Emiya!? Emiya, is that you!? What are you doing here, you dunce!?" she yelled back. After a brief silence, he shouted in response.

"Huh, you know me!? W-Wait right there, I'm coming over! I'm bringing the sword, I'm returning it!"

Rin looked at Archer. There was a strange frown in his face. It was the look of someone who just saw something he didn't expect. Well, she could relate to that one. To think she'd meet Emiya here. The actual problem, however, was the other girl in this party... the one with the same red hair as Emiya's...

"No way... not so soon..." Ritsuka said, slowly taking a step back with trembling legs.

Her anger at the girl hadn't completely gone, and she was still determined to not let her and Shielder in to her house, but Rin felt she could relate to that one, too. Imagine if it was Tohsaka Tokiomi's voice she had heard...

 _" **Hey, can anybody tell me what's going on over there?**_ **"** asked the doctor in his radio voice.

"We have Servant Assassin and their Master approaching... I can see their figures, but not their appearance," Shielder reported. Her eyes sharp in apprehension.

Rin flicked up a spell from her crest. A simple ball of light floated above her head, revealing the looks of the approaching figures. Conversely, the two newcomers could also see them in return.

"Tohsaka!? You're a Master too!?" Emiya Shirou exclaimed. He looked like he had just escaped from a dangerous peril in a jungle, as there were tears all over his clothes, bruises and scratches over his skin, and he was covered in sweats. Archer's sword in his hand only strengthened the image. Standing by his side was a petite young woman in sleeveless traditional attire, carrying a sword. Her eyes studying the group before her intensely. Servant Assassin.

 _What a beautiful person._

"Hi Emiya. I didn't expect to run into you. Not this soon," Rin greeted, trying to sound casual.

"Fou! Foouuu!" the white creature sounded, sniffing the new people.

"Oh, hey, nice poodle... wait, nevermind that! There's something urgent! Berserker is coming for us! We have to-"

"Berserker? Wait, Emiya, why do you...oh, damn it all..."

Emiya Shirou looked like he just got possessed by a spirit of goldfish. His mouth and eyes were wide open as his attention was completely taken by what he might think to be a female version of himself. Tilting his head in confusion, he pointed at the girl from the future.

"You are... I'm sorry, do I know you- I mean, am I supposed to know you?"

What a weird question, though it could be easily chalked as his astonishment taking over. Rin gave Ritsuka a once over, sighing when she found the girl completely flabbergasted. She couldn't look at her old man in the eyes. Her hands shook in front of her chest.

 _It was- no, it **will** be that bad, huh?_

"Emiya, this is Ritsuka and her Servant, Shielder," she took the initiative, pointing at the two girls. Being the polite kid that she was, Shielder bowed. "H-Hello..." she greeted shyly.

"Shielder?" Assassin said, frowning. "I don't know there's such a class."

"Well, this is an irregularity..." said Rin. "But anyway, Emiya, Ritsuka here is your child. She came from the future. Congratulations."

"... What?"

"A-Auntie! You can't-" Ritsuka protested, but it was cut short.

A large magical presence suddenly loomed over the area. Wave of cold shiver ran down Rin's back. The three Servants immediately put up fighting stances and turned to face the same direction. Over to where their sights were locked on, stood a beautiful little girl and a terrifying dark giant.

"Whoa, Onii-chan! I see that you are inviting friends to play with us! This is going to be fun!" the girl sing-songed, twirling happily.

 **"What!? What's happening in there!? What is this magical signature!?"** the Doctor yelled frantically. Nobody could answer to his question, though. Everyone was too busy feeling dreadful for that.

Rin momentarily forgot that the nervous breathing noise she heard was her own. She couldn't avert her eyes from the giant, no matter how empty her stomach was feeling from looking at that monster. This thing... how are we supposed to defeat it...?

"I'm sorry for this, Tohsaka. And you guys too..." Emiya said in resignation. However, instead of cowering down like expected, he stepped forward. His Servant followed suit by his side.

"Emiya, what are you doing?" Rin asked.

"Assassin and I are going to buy you guys some time to escape. I was about to ask for you all to fight together with us, but well... this is all I can do now..."

Rin really had no idea on what to respond to that. Shielder beat her into it.

"Wait a minute! This is too reckless!"

Over on the other side, the silver haired girl shook her head.

"You can play out any tactic you can think of, Onii-chan. It won't make a difference," she said. There was a considerable distance between them and the girl, but somehow Rin knew that she was smiling.

"Berserker, kill them all."

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE**

 **If you're wondering why the long delay never ends, it's my own bone-headedness that is the reason. You can say that I'm aiming too high. Multiple interlinked POVs overwhelmed me. It's getting harder to keep track of every character's progress in the story while keeping their personalities consistent and growing. Perhaps it wasn't a problem for you or your favorite authors, but for me, juggling multiple character arcs (that just keep expanding and increasing) is a total pain in the neck. Also, there's the usual problem with real life: it never gives you the time to sort everything out quickly.**

 **On the bright side, I believe that at the very least, we're going to finish through the second day of The Holy Grail War before the year's end. That might not sound much, but trust me, some really big twists are coming. Now for the usual.**

 **\- Okita. J. Frickin. Souji. Should have seen that coming from miles away. Nope. Our Assassin here is not equipped with jetpacks. Or swimsuit. It's winter for crying out loud. Although, an omake or comedic spin-off might be feasible. Not promising anything.**

 **\- As the Case Files anime (Gray-tan is cute!) reveals, Olga Marie was twelve in 2004. FGO was released in 2015. So, canonically, she should be 23 when the whole time travel shenanigans starts. Well,** **Screw that. In FBC, Olga is 19. Period. No debate.**

 **\- Some of you have noted that Shirou here is a little dumber and wimpier than canon. Yeah... can't exactly deny that. While FSN Shirou was out of his depth, at least he has knowledge in magic and the magus mindset to balance things out. Here, Shirou is a complete stranger to the darker side of the world, making him all the more naive and lost. It will change, sooner than later. The war is just going to get more violent and crazier, and our idiot hero has to adapt and evolve to survive it.**

 **\- Are you disliking Ritsuka right now? Well, yeah, that's what happen when you don't know the whole story. Chronologically, she had revealed the truth to Rin, but I decided to cut the scene because there are already too many things going on in this chapter. It will come out later when it's more relevant.**

 **\- Some have complained that I made Mordred too thuggish. Okay, I'm trying to rectify that. She couldn't be as fun to watch with Reika than she is with Kairi. Ahocrypha played it safe, so let us not. The central question is, "Why does the knight of rebellion stay loyal to a Master she dislikes?" well, if Kairi was the father she doesn't deserve but the one she needs, then what if we make Reika the mother she deserves but doesn't need? Mothers are by nature selfless, and this self-centered woman for some reason shows this motherly quality toward her Servant and her Servant only.**

 **\- Deep down, Mordred just wants love. And Reika might give her just that, in her own twisted, unpleasant way.**

 **\- Am I teasing Shirou x Okita too much in this? Anyone? After MUCH consideration, I decided to build their relationship into 'closer than friends but not lovers'; Platonic Life Partners if you know your tvtropes, so I think it's important to show them getting closer and better understanding each other. I hope it comes across well, but if you think it doesn't, please let me know.**

 **\- Next chapter: fights, fights, and more fights. Fav and follow if you like, review if you love, take it easy if you hate. See ya!**

* * *

Most magi wouldn't have felt it, but for ones specialized in divination like the Animusphere family, it couldn't have been more obvious. The air of the city carried residual mana with it, pollution resulting from the clash of several heroic spirits. All over the town, the fifth Holy Grail War was being fought. All Servants were engaged in mortal combats in several different arenas, scattered all over Shinto, Fuuyuki.

 _Well, except for one._

Saber sat cross-legged by the window of the hotel room, looking over the city with her one good eye. She had been silent in that position for nearly half an hour now, but Olga knew that she was being restless. The knight wanted to be out there, fighting.

"Hey, just go to bed already," the blonde Servant said.

Olga took a sip of her tea before answering, "I can't."

"Why?"

"Imagine trying to sleep with ants and spiders crawling all over your skin. Until the prana disturbance died down, I can't have a good, beneficial rest."

"Tch. You magi and your special needs..."

Saying so, Saber threw her back down on to the floor and stretched like a cat. "Aaargh...! So bored...! If it weren't for you, I'd be out there, beating some sods and taking names!"

"So you'll defy your Master's order if I weren't here?" Olga asked. To be honest, she'd rather spend the night in silence instead of risking accidentally provoking Saber. However, this was an opportunity to learn more about the band of misfits holding her hostage. What made them group together, why an ordinary woman like Reika was picked to lead them... in an off-chance she managed to escape their clutch, the information was crucial for Chaldea's cause to end the Holy Grail War they way it should have ended.

Saber didn't answer the question right away. "Yeah... why the hell not. What can she do to me? Scolding me? It's already getting old..."

 _But you still take it. Why?_ She wanted to ask, but it wouldn't sound natural. For Saber to give replies to more intrusive questions, Olga had to carefully lead her on. _How, though?_

"Saber, from what I see... your Master isn't a full-fledged magus, right? How does she provide prana for you?"

"Hm? Well, she's whoring herself to Rider's Master. Why do you think I keep calling her whore? That's what she is."

Olga felt her face heating up. Prana transfer through sexual intercourse... it was a crude but pretty effective way, from what she had heard. Master of Rider, from the time she first met him, he was with two women... _Oh, God._

"S-so, what does that arrangement mean? Do the two of you work for him, then?"

"Huh? Nay. Fuck that sod. He's spineless. The whore is taking care of everything for him for him. But the moment that creep starts to trust her a little too much, we're taking his head."

Olga bit down on her lower lip. Reika planned to betray Rider and his Master. This was big. This could cripple the alliance.

"What about Caster?"

"That bastard just came out of nowhere, claiming that all three of us must work together to defeat the rest. He claimed that our strength and abilities complement each other well."

Now she wanted to see that statement put to test. Olga could imagine how it go. Saber's ability should be simple enough; swordsmanship, magic resistance, excellent constitution - a frontline fighter through and through. Caster and Rider could be tricky to tell, but by the definition of their classes, the former should make for a good long range attacker and battle support while the latter, assuming he possessed a quick and formidable mount, would be the versatile middle-range soldier.

"The three of you are fighting separately, though..."

"Caster told us that Berserker is the worthy opponent for the three of us to fight together, so until then, we're to gather information and plan the strategy... ugh, now I'm pissed again. All Servants are down there right now, huh!? Why am I the only one left out!? So fucking unfair!"

There she went again with the childish rant... Olga could only sighed quietly in exasperation.

"And all because I got to keep an eye on you! Like a spoiled little twerp like you have the guts to escape!"

"Well, I'm sorry..." _not!_

As humiliating as it was to admit, Saber wasn't wrong. Without her mystic codes and ample preparation, Olga wouldn't dare trying a grand escape. This group might act carefree around her, but they weren't complete idiots. The corridor outside of this room was protected by multiple layers of bounded fields, each one hiding unique defense mechanism to prevent anyone univited from getting in and out of the room. And while the windows wasn't as strongly fortified, it was still seven stories from the ground. She didn't have the knowledge and skill to climb down safely, nor anything to protect herself from the mercy of gravity.

 _Ah, what a foolish drivel_. Why even consider that option? With Saber in the same room acting as her jailer, there wasn't even an opportunity to open a window. Olga poured more tea for herself. An idea came to her mind as she took a sip. Perhaps if she pretended to fall asleep, Saber would actually leave, giving her the opportunity to search around for clues.

A loud crashing sound put a stop to her train of thought.

"W-W-What's going on!?" she screamed in fright, her tea spilled all over the table. A large gust of wind swept over the room, sending curtains flapping wildly. She dared to look at the likely source of the disturbance, and her jaw dropped open.

"S-Saber...? What... What are you doing?"

The Servant of sword was now standing upright in front of a big hole in the glass wall of the hotel room. Outdoor air poured inside freely, the bounded field surrounding the outside of the hotel floor had been breached. A large sword, far too large for someone of Saber's stature to carry around, was held in the Servant's hand, rested over one shoulder. Clearly, she had created that hole and ripped apart the boundary field with it. The question was, what for?

"Yo, hostage," Saber said, sending a sideway grin her way. With the eyepatch covering her eye, the gesture seemed sinister, sending shiver down Olga's back. "I just got a really good idea. See, the reason why I can't go out there is because I have to watch over you, right? Well, the answer is simple, then. I just have to bring you along with me."

"W-What!?" there was no other word she could say at that. The magus began to inch away in horror as the Servant took a step toward her. That wolfish grin... there was nothing good that would come out of it.

"It'll be fine! Nothing's going to touch you with me by your side! Come on, now!"

"W-W-Wait! Wait! This is not a good idea! Please listen to me! No! No! Don't touch me! Aaaahh! No! Put me down!"

No matter how much Olga yelled and struggled, Saber was far too strong to be stopped. The brute warrior scooped her up, slung her over a shoulder, then brought her to the edge of the room, right in front of the makeshift way out.

"Nooo! Please don't bring me along! I'm afraid of heights!"

Her plea reached deaf ears. Laughing like mad, Saber jumped into the open sky. "YA-HOOOOOOO!" she howled. Olga couldn't help but yell along, although it came out as, "AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Like that, a scream of joy and a shriek of terror accompanied the final players as they descended into the next stage of the Fifth Holy Grail War.

* * *

 **Next Chapter:**

 _ **"Snake in the Eagle's Shadow"**_


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